Secrets in the Garden
by Akimo-the-Inu
Summary: -This story has only OCs. If you don't like OCs then you probably wont like this story- Three young borrowers have lived in the same small house on the outskirts of town for practiacally all their lives. Yet none of them have actually seen the human that lives their properly. One borrowing brings them closer than ever to this human and their lives are never the same.
1. Chapter 1

On a cold summer night stood a house on the outskirts of a village. The house was small and cozy, its garden welcoming many a visitor into its depths. This small house may look like a regular house, but its walls hold secrets, quite literally. Have you ever wondered what happens to that missing left sock? Or that hair pin that you thought you misplaced? You're probably just a little forgetful or maybe you were tired that night, but have you ever considered the idea that you might not be as forgetful as you thought.

The moonlight poured through a crystal window and gently flowed over the kitchen floor. The house stood silent and warm as the stars shone above. Three small shadows flickered at the edges of the pale moonlight, disappearing just as quickly as they had appeared. No one would have noticed if one figure hadn't lost their footing on a small uneven area of the kitchen tiles, letting out a quiet shriek and landing with a soft thud.

"Ouchie!" The figure cried, getting up and rubbing her slightly scraped arm. She stepped into the moonlight to get a better look at her injury. She was small, just shy of ten centimetres tall, and had reddish, almost cherry coloured hair that reached just past her chin. Her hair bounced as she walked, matching her vibrant personality.

"Pennelope!" The second figure panicked, yanking her back into the shadows. Pennelope sighed and continued to rub her arm.

"For crying out loud Seed it's not like the guy who lives here would hear that. Or even see that, for heaven sake the guy sleeps like he's dead!" Pennelope scoffed at the brunette, slightly annoyed with Seed's constant worry. Seed sighed, rolling her eyes with annoyance she continued walking. Seed crossed her arms, too stubborn to admit she was being too uneasy, her brown and blue eyes narrowing. Pennelope sighed and visibly drooped as they continued walking, growing progressively more annoyed.

"I'm just trying to keep you alive. It's not like I nag you cause I want to, Geez." Seed growled under her breath. Pennelope jumped out in front of Seed, stopping her in her tracks for a moment. Pennelope grit her teeth.

"You aren't smarter than any of us you twit." Pennelope pouted, crossing her arms as well. Seed opened her mouth to reply but was stopped by a hand firmly planted over her mouth.

"Will you two shut up and get on with this borrowing?" The third figure asked, finally stepping in. Pennelope gave a silly smile and laughed a little, spinning on the spot and getting back to the job. Seed sighed and adjusted the goggles that were sitting atop her head.

"I was just trying to help..." Seed mumbled, stuffing her hands into her pockets, "Sorry Wren..." Wren gave Seed a comforting smile and jogged off to catch up with Penelope, her blonde her waving behind her. Seed soon joined them at the bottom of the refrigerator. Pennelope stared up at the massive structure in wonder.

"I wonder how much food is in that thing..." Pennelope muttered, starting to drool a little. Wren gave a small laugh and set her satchel on the ground. She unbuttoned the one large button and pulled out a coil of rope.

"Wren what are you doing? We aren't seriously gonna borrow from a fridge, right?" Seed asked, a little panicked.

"Stop making assumptions, we're only scaling the thing." Wren said, uncoiling the rope and fastening a large fishing hook to the end of it. Seed gave a small sigh of relief and dropped her backpack into the ground as well. Meanwhile, Pennelope swayed back and forth, patiently awaiting the others to be done. Seed pulled three harnesses that seemed to be made of rubber bands and twine from her bag. She pulled one around her hips and tossed a couple to Penelope and Wren. They slipped into the harnesses and Wren proceeded to tie them into the rope. Wren tossed the hook end of the rope to Pennelope and she began to wind it up for a throw. She tossed the rope high into the air and it hooked itself on the top of the counter top that was right next to the fridge. Penelope gave it a good yank to make sure it was safe and Wren started to scale the side of the counter. Seed came next, pulling her goggles over her eyes she turned a small nob on the side. The goggle lights flickered for a moment before lighting up, glowing like artificial cat eyes that pierced the darkness. Pennelope was last, she happily climbed the side of the counter, bouncing the entire time, jostling the rope.

"Pennelope! Can you stop that!" Wren snarled from above, gripping the rope madly so she wouldn't fall. Pennelope stopped, giggling to herself at Wrens anger. Seed just sighed and continued to climb. They reached the top soon enough and pulled up the rope. Pennelope swung the hook once more, this time on top of the fridge itself. They climbed once more, making it safely to the top. Seed sat down, slightly out of breath.

"That's what you get when you spend all day at home in your workshop." Penelope snickered. Seed tried to give Pennelope a haunting glare but could only manage an annoyed glance. Pennelope turned to see Wren's eyes glaring daggers into Pennelope's mind. Wren's stare was much more effective, making Pennelope's face turn from giddy to uncomfortable in a matter of moments.

"Pennelope, can you please throw it again?" Wren asked, dropping her death glare to fix the belt on her tunic. Pennelope nodded and gladly grabbed the hook once more and threw it across the gap between the top of the fridge and the cabinet above counter top. The rope ran straight across, almost like a tightrope and would be nearly impossible to shimmy across. Wren stared at the gap with a puzzled look and fiddled with her belt as she paced, trying to think of a way to cross. A smug smile slid across Seed's face as she rummaged in her backpack. She quickly pulled out a strange metal contraption with a crank.

"Tada! This will fix all of our problems!" Seed announced with a confident grin. Pennelope and Wren stared at Seed looking way less than impressed. Seed's smile quickly faded into an annoyed frown as she marched over to the rope. She slid one of the sides of the metal box open to reveal two small wheels. She slid the rope between the wheels and slid the side back into place. A small hook protruded from the bottom and Seed slid her harness into position on the hook. Wren and Pennelope still looked at her with shear confusion. Seed's confident smile slid back across her face as she stood back up.

"See you on the other side!" Seed snickered and promptly jumped off the side of the fridge. Wren and Pennelope rushed to the edge of the fridge, horror painted on their faces. Their horror was met with echoing laughter as Seed dangled safely attached to the contraption on the rope. Wren stared silently down at Seed, no hint of amusement on her face. Meanwhile an evil smile slithered its way onto Pennelope's.

"You should be more careful seed..." She snickered, getting her revenge on Seed for earlier. Seed's hummer melted into impatience at the drop of a hat.

"Geez you wackos just grab the other two and lets get going." Seed said, turning sour. Wren and Pennelope grabbed the other two contraptions from Seeds bag and tossed it to Seed, who was still patiently dangling off the side of the massive fridge. Once they had gotten into position Wren and Pennelope jumped off the fridge.

"Uhhhh, what now?" Pennelope asked, wiggling around in her harness making the rope bounce up and down. Wren glared once more and got Pennelope to stop.

"Now my friend, we crank!" Seed announced and gripped the crank that was on the side of the contraption. She cranked it as hard as she could and the rope was fed through one side and out the other, propelling Seed along the rope. Wren and Pennelope followed suit and they were across the gap in no time. They each hauled themselves into the cabinet and detached themselves from the contraption.

"It's a good thing this guy tends to keep his cabinet doors open." Pennelope said as she detached herself, "Have you guys ever actually seen the guy who lives here up close?"

"Not really..." Wren pondered as she coiled the rope back up, "I wonder what he looks like..."

"I think the most I've seen is a foot." Seed said as she lazily stuffed her contraptions and harnesses back into her slightly oversized bag. Wren slung the rope over her shoulder and continued farther into the cabinet. They walked around the extremely dark cabinet for a couple of minutes before Seed's goggle lights illuminated a box of crackers.

"Wait!" Cried Wren, "Granny needed a few crackers didn't she?" Wren gripped at her belt and pulled out a fragment of glass that was sharpened perfectly into a blade.

"Over here Seed, I need some light." She said as she walked into the cracker box. Seed gazed into the box with her goggles as Wren raised her knife and cleanly cut open the plastic bag where the crackers were. Wren stuck in her arm and rustled around a bit finally pulling out a cracker, then reaching in and pulling out another. She handed Seed one as she broke hers cleanly in two. Seed did the same and tucked the cracker under her arm.

"Alrighty! So the next thing is-" Seed's sentence was cut short by the sound of a door opening in the hallway. Seed's face was drained of it's colour was they heard footsteps approaching the kitchen door. Wren rushed to the edge of the cabinet and shoved the fish hook into the edge.

"Grab your stuff and go! Hurry up!" Wren commanded, letting the rope dangle down onto the counter top below. Pennelope was the first down, not hesitating at all as she slid down the rope at an amazing speed.

"Weeeeee!" She chortled with joy, not caring that her shirt was flying up and smacking her in the face. Seed quickly switched off her goggles and slid down the rope.

"Ow ow ow ow OW! Rope burn, rope burn!" She screamed as tears welled in her eyes. Wren tossed Seed's bag down and the finally slid down herself. Seed and Pennelope had retreated to a small secret hole in the wall by the kitchen sink that was a tight fit even for a borrower. Wren whipped the hook off of the cabinet and sloppily coiled it again. She ran for the hole but was two late when she heard the kitchen door open from behind her. She took cover behind one of the water taps. She stared at the door, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Walking into the room was a tall young man with messy brown hair. His eyes were half closed from sleepiness and the only thing he was wearing was a pair of batman boxer shorts. He shuffled over to the sink and grabbed a cup from one of the cupboards. Wren looked up at him, frozen in place. Strangely her heart began to beat slower and slower. She couldn't tear her eyes from him as she looked him up and down. He reached for one of the taps and for a moment Wren thought she was done for but luckily, he reached for the other tap. She watched as he filled his glass and chugged it down, leaving nothing left. He moaned and slowly shuffled his way back to bed. Wren still stood frozen, staring at the doorway with a strange sense she had never felt before. She wasn't even scared.

 _"_ _He's not scary at all... He's kind of... cute."_ She thought, feeling a slight blush on her cheeks. She shook her head quickly and stared at the ground.

"Wren!" Seed and Pennelope yelled urgently from the hole. Wren spun around and stared at her friends, their eyes filled with terror. Wren took a deep breath and ran over to the hole, squeezing herself in. Seed and Pennelope smothered her with a giant hug.

"We thought you were done for..." Seed murmured, her voice nearly breaking. Pennelope was still holding on tight to Wren, being silent for the first time that night. Seed looked around and then suddenly looked at Wren with panic in her eyes.

"Wren... Where's your satchel?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Major thanks to EpicClimax0 for the reveiw and favoutire. I really appreitate it! Sorry for anyone who wanted to read more I haven't been on my account in a while. i hope you enjoy the chapter!**

Wren grabbed at her side where her satchel should have been, but her hands were left grabbing her tunic. Her eyes widened when she realized she had left it on the kitchen floor. She knew they couldn't go back now, not with that guy just being woken up. Seed switched on her goggles again, lighting up the inside of the kitchen wall. Spider webs clung to every corner and dust lined the walls. Pennelope coughed several times from the dust in the air. Seed rummaged through her bag again and pulled out light. She twisted the nob on the side, turning it on, and tossed it to Wren. Seed led the way down the wall, using worn out nails as stairs.

"Wow..." Pennelope breathed, "How long has it been since a borrower has used this passage?"

"I don't know... But I do know granny told us not to come near these old passages. She said they were unsafe, filled with spiders or something." Seed said, looking around at all of the thick cobwebs. "We don't have to worry though, we have lights! These will keep them away." Seed tapped her goggles to reassure Pennelope. "Or did lights attract them..." Seed asked herself, pausing for a moment. Pennelope shuddered at the thought. The three forged on, continuing until they made it all the way to familiar territory.

The sky was beginning to pale by the time they found their way to the garden. The garden was quite small but housed a surprising large verity of plants. Tomatoes, green beans, and a selection of herbs. The perfect place for a borrower to live. The grass was quite tall because of the lack of mowing but the backyard still looked quite nice. Three large trees grew in the back corner of the yard and provided shade from the scorching sun on hot days. Pennelope, Wren, and Seed kept close to the wall, making their way to a small portion of the outside wall that was well covered by a rose bush. A hole large enough to be used as a doorway was burrowed in the side of the wooden houses concrete foundation. The three made their way inside and was met with a lovely carved wooden door. Seed pushed it open and dropped her bag with a loud thud.

"Oooooh! its good to be home..." Seed yawned, stretching her arms. Pennelope's stomach growled as she squeezed past Seed, nearly tripping over her bag.

"Hey! Don't leave your stuff laying around!" Pennelope shouted as she regained her balance. Seed grit her teeth, "Just watch where you're going airhead." She teased. Wren sighed and made her way further into the house. She didn't make it very far until she was nearly hit in the face by a door swinging open in the hallway.

"Will you two shut up!" A raspy voice yelled from the doorway.

"Hello Granny!" Seed smiled cheerfully.

"That's Granny Sparrow!" The voice corrected her, stepping out into the hallway. Granny Sparrow had her hands on her hips, her wrinkled old face was scrunched into a frown but her gentle eyes showed she wasn't seriously angry. Her greying hair was fastened into a tight bun and her pink dress flowed neatly down her hips. Pennelope ran up to Granny Sparrow and pulled her into a tight hug. Granny Sparrow chuckled, her anger melting away.

"So, get on with it, what did you girls borrow tonight? Did you get me those crackers and some Tea like I asked?" Wren and Seed looked at their feet, feeling like they had disappointed the old woman.

"Umm... Actually we could only get the crackers this time Granny Sparrow..." Wren said, shuffling her feet, "The human woke up in the middle of our borrowing." Granny Sparrow's frown returned, but this time it was a worried frown.

"Please say he didn't see you." She said as Pennelope released her from the death hug. Wren shook her head, easing Granny's worries.

"But Wren got sooooooooo close and-" Pennelope's sentence was stopped by Seed's hand clasping over her mouth. Seed gave a nervous smile but Granny didn't say a word. She turned around and walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. The kitchen was a tidy little thing, with a small working stove and a few counter tops. The sink was a little off to the side and the tap dripped constantly. In the centre of the kitchen was a round table with four chairs around it. Granny sat down in one of the chairs, letting out a sigh of relief when she settled in.

"Put the crackers on the counter please sweetie." Granny said, pointing to one of the counters. Seed puled out the two crackers from her bag and set them on the counter, dusting the crumbs off of herself afterword.

"Thank you dear." Granny smiled, thrumming her fingers on the table as she thought about what to do about the tea.

"Hey Granny, I could run over to the market near town in a few hours and see if they have any tea there." Seed suggested, fidgeting with her orange sweater.

"Good idea Seed, but go and get some rest first will you?" Granny said. Seed nodded and skipped off to her room for a nap.

"I know exactly why she wants to go to the market..." Pennelope snickered. Wren elbowed her in the ribs to shut her up, but she ended up snickering slightly as well. Pennelope laughed and they both headed to their rooms.

Wren sighed wistfully was she flopped down onto her bed. She gazed around the room, looking at all of her pictures on her walls. She smiled, remembering how she had ripped each one out of a book that she had read. One was a picture of a haunting castle, another was a small rabbit huddled in it's underground home, but by far her favourite was the picture of a smiling cat. It's grin was so wild it nearly reached its ears. Wren sighed, remembering how she had torn it out at her first ever borrowing. As Wren's memories drifted through her head, she began to fade into dreamland. She was jerked awake by a loud crash from Seed's room.

"Sorry!" Seed yelled, shoving her half made contraptions to the side. Wren rolled her eyes and continued to drift into sleep.

"Will you be quiet Seed!" Granny Sparrow barked from the kitchen. Seed flinched at the sound of the barking woman.

"S-sorry..." she whispered, quickly stuffing her gizmos to one side of her room. She sat down on her bed and gave a nob of approval. Her room was so cluttered her bed almost looked like a boat in a sea of trash. She had countless unfinished projects scattered around her floor. Blueprints were stuck around her room like posters and the only places that didn't have clutter were her bed and her work bench. Seed laid down, a smile forming on her lips.

 _"_ _I can't wait to go to the market!"_ She giggled in her mind, flipping onto her stomach and pointing her feet up into the air, wiggling them back and forth. She sighed and tried to calm herself down so she could fall asleep.

Pennelope laughed to herself, overhearing Seed have some troubles with her clutter. Pennelope tossed herself onto her bed, looking around and smiling at her various trinkets she had taped to the wall. She grabbed one of them off of her bedside table and started to fiddle with it. She remembered she had found it one day while out on a borrowing. It was oddly shaped and had rubber on one end of it. The bottom of it seemed to have frayed wires coming out of it. She looked at it from every angle, then shrugged and put it back. She put her hands behind her head and giggled.

 _"_ _I am totally tagging along with Seed. I can't miss out on this teasing opportunity..."_ She snickered to herself. She gave a loud yawn and turned over, quickly falling asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm so glad people actually read this! this has been a project between me and my friend for a good year and we have put our souls into it. well, tons of ideas at least. I hope you enjoy the chapter! reveiws are greatly appreciated :D. (also sorry about any spelling mistakes .-.)**

Seed moaned as she was jostled from her nap.

"Stop it..." Seed mumbled as someone poked her face.

"Fine... I guess you don't want to go to the marketplace..." A teasing voice jolted her from the nap. Seed shot up in bed and turned to see Pennelope laughing hysterically in her face. Seed sighed and got out of bed, pushing Pennelope out the door so she could change into a fresh pair of clothes. Once she was changed she grabbed her goggles and dumped out the contents of her backpack onto the floor.

"Uhhh... Shouldn't you, put that away or something?" Pennelope asked, looking at the heap of borrowing equipment.

"Nope! We gotta go!" Seed said, pushing Pennelope out the bedroom door with her. She closed the door behind them and hurried to the front door. She stopped in her tracks and spun around, heading to the kitchen with Pennelope in tow.

"Ack! Will you stop! Please!" Pennelope pleaded, stumbling after Seed. Seed ignored her and stopped at the door right next to the kitchen. Seed knocked lightly and heard Granny's raspy voice answer.

"Come in..." Granny said, sitting down on her fluffy bed. Granny's room was tidy and welcoming, filled with soft hues of blues and greens. Seed opened the door and walked in, leaving Pennelope at the door.

"Granny Sparrow... Could you please braid my hair?" Seed asked sheepishly, holding her hands behind her back and staring at the floor. Granny smiled and patted the spot on the bed next to her, inviting her to sit. Seed sat down and let Granny carefully braid her hair.

"Why do you always make me braid your hair when you go to the marketplace?" Granny asked with a smile.

"No particular reason... I just... Like to braid my hair when I go out." Seed answered, staring at the wall. Granny chuckled but dropped the subject. Seed got up and walked to the doorway.

"Thank you Granny..." Seed called over her shoulder.

"That's Granny Sparrow!" Granny called after her with a smile, "Have fun at the marketplace!"

"We will!" Pennelope called before they both left the house.

Wren was woken by a loud slam from the front door. She flinched in her sleep and nearly fell off the bed. She rubbed her eyes and sat up.

"For heavens sake... That child cannot be quiet can she." She heard Granny mutter as she walked past. Wren got up, stretching and yawning. She put on a new change of clothes and walked out into the kitchen. Granny was sitting peacefully at the kitchen table reading a small book Seed had picked up the last time she had gone to the marketplace. Wren yawned again and walked over to one of the cupboards and pulled out a teapot. She opened the drawer that usually contained the tea but all she found was some hot cocoa powder. Wren sighed with disappointment.

"They will be back before long with the tea, be patient." Granny said as if reading Wren's mind. Wren was then suddenly jolted from her drowsiness as she remembered the failed borrowing last night.

 _"_ _My satchel! No no no! I have to get it back before that human finds it!"_ She rambled in her mind.

"What's the matter dear?" Granny asked, looking up from her book. Wren stiffened, then tried to play it cool.

"Oh I just... Think we might need some more camomile! I'll go and grab some!" Wren said, walking to the front door.

"Bye Granny Sparrow! I'll see you soon!" She called hastily, rushing out the front door.

"What will I ever do with them..." Granny sighed.

Seed and Pennelope trudged onward up the path to the nearby village. The path had been created from generations of travelling to the village marketplace, but the walk was still quite a long ways to go.

"Are we there yet!?" Pennelope whined, dragging her feet. Seed sighed, rubbing her face with her hands.

"You've been asking that for the part half an hour. What do you think?!" Seed yelled, loosing her patience. Pennelope just groaned.

"You're 18, at least act like it..." Seed muttered under her breath, feeling bad the moment after she said it. Pennelope just kept dragging her feet, oblivious to the comment.

About half an hour later they came to the village. It was a small village, but still deadly to any borrower. It was easy to be spotted, especially in broad daylight. The borrowers that lived in the village were experts at keeping hidden, Using the shadows, underground tunnels and various secret borrower paths. Seed and Pennelope kept to the shadows the best they could. Pennelope occasionally would wonder into the sun but Seed always pulled her right back into the shadows. They finally found themselves at the entrance to the marketplace. It was right next to the human marketplace that stood in the centre of town. The entrance was a small tunnel made of long grass stems that led into a street full of vendors selling their various borrowed items. The marketplace wasn't too busy because it was quite early in the morning. Most of the vendors were just setting up their booths full of food and gadgets.

"Cool!" Pennelope yelled and ran off towards a booth. Seed jogged after her, making sure her friend didn't get into any trouble. Pennelope was staring at a sparkling blue gem about the size of a borrowers fist.

"What do you want for it?" Seed asked, taking off her back pack.

"What you got?" the vendor asked, leaning on the counter. Seed rummaged through the bag a little, trying to find anything good to trade.

"Uhhh... some rope, some scrap metal, half a cracker and part of a thyme leaf." Seed said, listing her goods. The vendor shook his head.

"No thanks, get lost." He said, not even thinking twice. Seed grit her teeth and trudged off. Pennelope followed, looking just as angry.

"Jerk..." Pennelope muttered, crossing her arms. They walked for a bit before coming across a familiar booth. Seed stopped abruptly. Pennelope snickered quietly before getting a serious glare from Seed. This only made Pennelope laugh louder. Seed tensed and spun around, clenching her fists.

"Wait! No! Sorry, I wont laugh anymore!" Pennelope said, grabbing Seed's arm and trying to suppress her giggles. Seed sighed deeply.

"Promise?" Seed asked, looking at Pennelope with pleading eyes. Pennelope nodded, giving Seed a reassuring smile and thumbs up. Seed smiled and turned back around. She paused for a moment, then took a few steps towards the booth. The vender of the booth was a young man with slightly messy black hair and sleek glasses. He wore a light white jacket and a scarf to keep him warm in the chilly morning. He was just finishing with a costumer as Seed walked up.

"Hi Seed! How's your morning going?" He asked, flashing Seed a smile.

"Pretty good!" Seed replied, grinning, "How about you Shio?" Seed asked. Shio shrugged.

"It's not the best morning for selling things but I can't complain. So what are you here for?" He asked. Seed pulled out a small scrap of paper from her pocket. Granny had written a short list of things they were supposed to get from the marketplace. Seed nearly dropped it as she took it out, laughing nervously at her own clumsiness.

"I need... some tea, some thread and a sewing needle." Seed listed. Shio Thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I'm pretty sure we have all of those! Hold on, let me go and check in the back." Shio said before retreating into the back of the booth where all of the goods where kept. Pennelope giggled quietly behind Seed. Seed Sighed deeply and rubbed the back of her neck.

Wren Peeked out from a small hole beside the kitchen door. She pulled the hood of her dark cloak over her head and swiftly ran into the kitchen, sticking as close to the wall as she could. Quietly she slid behind the fridge. She her head out, making sure the human wasn't in the room. She sighed with relief when no one was there. She rushed out from behind the fridge and whipped her head around, looking for her bag. She stood there, staring at the empty floor with astonished eyes.

"Crap!" She whispered to herself, gazing around for any sign of her satchel. She flinched when she heard the sound of footsteps and quickly fled back into the hole by the door as fast as she could.

 _"_ _Where the hell did he put it!?"_ She screamed in her head. She wondered through the house, looking through small openings to search for her lost satchel. She was boiling with anger now, trying not to panic at the thought that the human might have actually seen her last night. Eventually she found herself in the surprisingly tidy bedroom of the human. She stood on top of an old dusty bookshelf that overlooked the room. He had a large white bed in the corner of the room. At the foot of his bed was a chest that was open to reveal neatly folded blankets. The walls were painted a soft green, giving the room a calming mood. A large window with white curtains sat above his bed. Fresh air flow in through the open window, stirring the curtains. Wren cupped her hands around her eyes, trying to get a better look at the small trinkets that littered his bedside table. Just then she heard the squeak of door hinges as the human walked into the room. This time he was wearing a bath robe and his hair was dripping wet, suggesting he had just taken a shower. Wren dropped onto her belly in an instant, watching him carefully as he flopped onto his bed. He turned over and picked something small up off of his bedside table. Wren leaned closer, trying to see what it was. He fiddled with it for a while before she realized it was her satchel.

 _"_ _Put that down you blubbering idiot!"_ She thought, gripped her head in panic. He then unbuttoned the satchel and pulled out all of its strange contents. He gazed at them confused as her dangled the rope and fish hook from his fingers.

 _"_ _Don't you dare break it! I'll kill you, you overly curious jerk!"_ Wren silently yelled some more, nearly falling off of the bookshelf. Eventually he put the satchel back onto the desk and got up from his bed. Wren smirked, thinking this was her chance to nab the satchel. The human didn't leave the room, instead he waked over to a chest of drawers and pulled out a change of clothes. He untied the belt keeping his robe closed and started to undress. Wren dashed back to the wall, scrunching her eyes closed. He face turned beet red in a matter of moments.

 _"_ _That stupid human..."_ She thought was she curled into a blushing ball.

Seed thrummed her fingers on the booth as she waited for Shio to return from the back of the booth. He was back before long with an armful of things. Seed pulled out all of the contents of her bag and placed them in the counter. She frowned as she looked over her goods.

"I don't think I have enough stuff to trade..." Seed said. Shio just smiled and shrugged.

"I think it's good enough, just take it." He said, handing Seed a bag of tea, a spool of thread, a needle and part of a shortbread cookie. Seed held up the piece of cookie, about to protest. Shio just shook his head and held a finger to his lips with a wink.

"Go ahead, take it. Just don't tell my sister, she'll chew me out for giving free things to my friends." He told Seed, a grin sliding across his face. Seed could feel a blush rush to her cheeks. She smiled and nodded like a mad man.

"N-no problem! Thanks!" She said, quickly leaving the stand with her armful of things.

"Bye Seed! Bye Pennelope!" Shio called after them with a wave. Seed turned around and gave him a wave as she walked backwards.

"Bye Shio! Good to see you!" She called with a smile. Pennelope laughed the moment they were out of earshot. Seed said nothing, only sighed and smiled.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey guys! I hope you are enjoying reading this. Shout out to TheDragoKitty for reviewing every chapter so far! Thanks a bunch! I hope this chapter is exciting! ~ Akimo**

Wren walked through the front door of her house with a defeated sigh. She had picked some camomile quickly before returning home so Granny wouldn't ask any questions. She walked to the kitchen and propped the herb against the wall. To her surprise Granny was still siting in the same spot and reading her book. It looked like Granny was nearly done reading it.

"That took quite a while dear." Granny said, setting her book down for a moment.

"The grass is so long now I got a little lost." Wren answered after only a moment of hesitation. To Wren's relief Granny gave her a smile.

"Well I'm glad you didn't get too lost." She said, picking up her book again. A few moments later Seed and Pennelope walked through the front door. Pennelope Skipped into the kitchen, sitting down in one of the chairs. Seed dropped her bag on the ground with a loud thump as usual and pulled out the tread and needle.

"Here you go Granny! I got you some tea too!" Seed smiled, setting the tread and needle on the table.

"Thank you sweetie." Granny smiled, picking up the thread to inspect it. Seed Pulled out the tea and put it into its rightful place, happily humming as she did so. Wren held back a giggle.

 _"_ _Every single time she goes to the marketplace this happens."_ Wren thought with a smile. Seed was just about to skip off to her room but Wren grabbed her by the arm and pulled her over to the room. Pennelope looked over at them, curiosity sparking in her eyes. Wren signalled her to follow and Pennelope gladly obliged. Wren closed the door behind them and took a deep breath.

"I went to go and look for my satchel today... and the human picked it up." Wren said, playing with her hair nervously. Seed's jaw dropped and her happiness turned to worry. She paced back and forth, but was quickly stopped by Wren who held one finger to her mouth, telling her to be quiet.

"What are we going to do! He's probably figured it out by now! And if not he's really close to!" Seed shouted in a whisper so that Granny couldn't hear. Pennelope shrugged, not showing much worry.

"At least he didn't see us right?" Pennelope stated, trying to lighten the mood. Wren started to blush as she remembered the events of earlier that day.

"A-and... I kinda... saw the human naked..." She muttered, pulling her hood over her head in embarrassment. Seed stared at Wren, speechless. Pennelope burst out laughing and nearly fell to the floor.

"Was he hot?" Pennelope teased, whipping the tears from her eyes. This only made Wren blush harder and sink to the floor.

"I... I couldn't look away..." Wren whispered, admitting it. Pennelope laughed even more.

"I guess that's a yes then." She said, gasping for air. Seed sighed and laughed a little too, straightening the goggles that were now almost falling of of her head.

"As long as you get your satchel back I think everything will be okay... I hope." Seed said, helping Wren off of the ground. Wren took a deep breath and sat down on her bed. Seed frowned, trying to think of a way to cheer her friend up, then she remembered the project she had been working on for a while.

"Hey Wren! I have a surprise for you tomorrow! So hurry up and get some sleep." Seed said, gears turning in her head. Wren cocked her head to the side, now curious. Seed just winked and ran off to her room. Pennelope shrugged and skipped off to her room as well.

"Goodnight!" She called as left. Wren tried to sleep but it was quite hard when Seed was clattering around in her room for half the night. The air was filled with clattering and Seed's constant apologizing. Even Granny Sparrow gave up trying to scold her eventually.

Wren was woken by an excited Seed shaking her. Wren gave her a glare before drowsily getting out of bed. She got dressed and out the door quite fast because of the rushing Seed.

"Tada!" Seed yelled, pointing to a strange wooden contraption with ropes dangling from different places. Wren stared at it with doubt and confusion. Seed yawned and rubbed her eyes before picking it up and starting to walk away. Wren caught up quickly, still a little sleepy without her morning tea. The sun was already up and birds fluttered about, tweeting their happy tunes.

"Okay... So what exactly is that thing?" Wren asked. Seed smirked and planted it firmly on the ground. The contraption seemed like a wooden pole with strings, but Seed pulled out a peg on the side of the pole and extended it into the air. She placed the peg back in the pole and kicked the side of a few times before a portion of the split in half, revealing that the strings were actually a rig for someone to dangle in.

"That really doesn't answer my question..." Wren said, growing impatient. Seed sighed and compressed the contraption again.

"It's so you can read without having to crawl all over the pages and lose your spot." Seed explained, hoping Wren would be impressed. Wren nodded and smiled.

"That will help a bit I think." Wren said, recalling all of the books she had ever red. They made their way to the entrance inside the house before pausing at the sound of something running their way.

"Why didn't you guys wake me up!" Screamed an annoyed Pennelope, bolting strait at them. Seed flinched, expecting Pennelope to slam into them but she instead screeched to a halt, gasping for air.

"Since you're here help me carry this thing." Seed said, offering Pennelope one end of the device. Pennelope rolled her eyes in annoyance but grabbed it anyway. The three made their way through the walls, having a little difficulty because of the reading contraption. They climbed the walls all the way up to the top of the bookcase where they rested for a moment. Seed flopped onto the ground and gave a wheezy sigh of relief. Wren popped her head over the edge of the bookcase, looking for a book she wanted to read. She silently red the titles for a few moments before nodding with approval at one of them. Wren dashed over and grabbed some rope out of Seed's bag and tied herself. in. She repelled herself down to the top shelf and grabbed hold of a book.

"Wait. Your getting one from the top shelf?!" Seed asked, her voice filled with astonishment.

"You bet!" Wren answered and pulled as hard as she could. The book flew off the shelf, nearly taking Wren with it as it fell. It landed with a loud thud that echoed through the house. Pennelope and Seed flinched and dropped to their stomachs, expecting the human to walk into the room at any moment. Wren swiftly hid herself between the books on the bookshelf, hoping not to get squished if the human put the book back into its proper spot. They waited a good ten minutes before coming out of their hiding places. All three let out a sigh of relief before getting back to their job.

"Now for this one!" Pennelope said, throwing Seed's contraption over the side of the bookcase.

"Nooo!" Seed yelled, reaching out in vain as it tumbled to the floor and landing with a much softer thud. Seed inhaled deeply as she saw it was completely intact. Wren then made her way one shelf at a time down to the floor. Seed followed, nearly falling a handful of times. Once on the ground they both set up the device and opened the book to the first page.

"I've been meaning to get to you Doctor Jekyll..." Wren said, talking to her book. Seed gave her a funny look and helped her into the rig. Seed hoisted her up and Wren smiled.

"Oh this is much better!" She smiled, swinging back and forth in the ropes.

"Be careful, This is just a-" Seed's warning was interrupted by Wren's screech as she was easily entangled in the many ropes.

"Prototype..." Seed finished, face-palming at Wren's impatience.

"Get me out of here! Why didn't you test this out first you idiot!" Wren yelled, struggling to get free resulting in her becoming even more tangled.

"Here.. just-" Seed was cut short again was the sound of footsteps approached the door to the bedroom. Seed's head whipped around, looking for a place she could hide Wren, but came up with nothing.

"YOU BASTARD!" Wren wailed as Seed dove behind the bookcase right before the door opened. The human strode into the room and was frozen in place at the sight of a tiny woman screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Uhhh..." He breathed, confused beyond belief. He slowly approached the small device and bent down to get a better look. He picked it up and brought it right up to his face. Wren was now upside down and flailing as much as ever.

"Uhhhh... Would you... like some help?" He asked. Wren stopped flailing for a moment, staring at him with shock. He gave her a small smile and She felt a small blush warm her cheeks. She shook her head fiercely and began to wiggle around again.

"N-no! I'm fine! I can do it myself!" She screamed, trying to avoid his gaze. He let her struggle for a few moments before setting her on his bed. He took her waist between his fingers and began to calmly untangle her limbs.

"Stop it!" Wren protested, trying to wiggle from his grasp, "That tickles!"

He giggled and continued to untangle her. Wren tried to reach for the small dagger on her belt but his fingers were in the way. A few moments later she was free. He set her down on the bed and examined her.

"Will you stop that?" She snapped, crossing her arms in a huff.

"Fine fine.." He mumbled, running his fingers though his hair, "So... What's your name?" He asked, still a little shaken by the fact that he was talking to a girl that was only slightly bigger than a mouse.

"You tell me yours first..." Wren frowned. He rolled his eyes and extended his finger for a handshake.

"My names Chase, nice you meet you... Little person." He said, slightly awkwardly.

"I'm... Wren.." She replied, extending her hand and touching his fingertip. She avoided eye contact, trying not to stare at how big he was. The two sat in silence for a few moments before chase finally spoke.

"Okay, so what exactly are you?" He asked, inspecting her again. Wren panicked for a moment before giving up.

"I'm.. I'm a borrower..." She sighed, feeling horrible for giving up her secret so easily. Chase just cocked his head to one side, feeling confused.

"Aaaannnd?..." Chase asked. Wren sighed deeply, turning away and crossing her arms again.

"And I just take what I need to live and go back to my little house." She stated, trying not to mention her friends. Chase gave her a surprised look.

"Wait... You live in my house?" He asked, feeling a little flustered. Wren flinched, realizing it was a little creepy that he had an unknown room mate.

"No!... I mean not really..." She said, trying not to sound too desperate, "You see... I live in your garden. So its not REALLY in your house guess..." Chase gave a small sigh of relief, feeling paranoid about his privacy.

"So you live alone then?" He asked, feeling less creeped out and more curious.

"Yep! All alone! In my little house." she said in a rush, hoping she didn't sound suspicious. Chase gave a faint frown.

"Man that must be lonely... Why didn't you just say hello?" He asked. Wren was shocked by how straightforward he was being.

"Well... You're huge! I didn't know that you wouldn't kill me! I would like to live thank you very much." Wren answered, finally getting used to talking with a human. Chase nodded with agreement.

"I don't blame you..." He thought out loud. Wren smiled, sitting down on his bed. The two continued to talk for quite a while.

Meanwhile Seed was stuck between a bookcase and a hard place.

 _"_ _Oh my gosh will those two shut up! I kind of would love to be able to move now!"_ Seed shouted in her head, her feet cramping from standing on her tippy toes. She was quite squished. She could barely move her arms and it felt like she was trapped in a coffin.

 _"_ _Why did she even decide to talk in the first place... Just run away or something! Please?"_ Seed begged in her head.

Meanwhile Pennelope was laying comfortably on the top of the bookcase, peeking over the edge to see the two talking to each other. She smirked as she listened to them.

 _"_ _Hehe~ Those two are cute!"_ She giggled in her head, nearly giggling out loud.

Wren and Chase were getting along quite well when she heard thunder clap from the window. Wren jumped a little and whipped around to see that rain was starting to fall. Chase got up and closed the window before the raindrops could get inside. Wren suddenly remembered that she needed to through the garden to get to her house, if she didn't leave soon she might be stranded.

"Hey can I ask you for a favour?" Wren asked, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

"Sure thing!" He replied, "What do you need?"

"Could you possibly get me cracker? I came to borrow a small one but ended up getting caught in that thing." Wren said, pointing to the reading contraption. Chase was a little confused, but nodded and walked off into the kitchen. Wren sighed and slid down his comforter before running over to the bookcase.

"UUUHHHH FINNALLY!" Seed moaned as she wiggled out from behind the bookcase and stretched.

"Shhh!" Wren hushed and pulled her towards the door, "We have to get going."

"But what about-"

"Shhhh!" Wren hushed again, "There's no time to climb that thing!" Seed then sighed and let Wren lead her to the small hole in the hallway. Was they climbed into the hole Chase was returning to his bedroom. Wren could her him sigh with disappointment and her heart felt a pang of empathy. She knew what it was like to be alone. They made there way back through the walls of Chase's house in silence.

Chase returned to his room with cracker in hand and was greeted by silence. He sighed and took a bite of the cracker.

"I knew it..." He mumbled as he popped the rest of the cracker into his mouth.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! I thought I would put up the next chapter. New characters in this one! ;D I hope you enjoy! ~Akimo**

Wren and Seed sprinted their way through the large raindrops as they came to their front door. To their surprise Pennelope was already home, waiting for them in the kitchen. She was drinking some tea and talking with Granny Sparrow who was knitting a lovely scarf. Granny stopped talking when the two ran through the door.

"Where have you two been! You know rain is extremely dangerous!" she barked, wagging her finger at them and jumping up from her seat.

"But granny we-" Seed started

"That's Granny Sparrow!" She scolded, putting her hands on her hips.

 _"_ _Fourth time! Forth freaking time today that I've been cut off!"_ Seed thought with outrage but said nothing.

"You should hurry home faster when it starts to rain!" Granny continued, sitting back down and picking up her knitting needles that she had been using. Pennelope gave Seed and Wren a mischievous glare. Wren glared back, causing Pennelope to drop her gaze. Wren just walked into her room and jumped onto her bed. She flipped over onto her stomach and grabbed a nearby scrap of paper. She opened her drawer and rummaged through it for a bit before pulling out the tip of a broken pencil. She nodded in approval and started to draw. She started to zone out and draw absentmindedly. She thought about her day and remembered that she didn't even get her satchel back. She was shaken from her daze as a loud crash sounded from Seed's room again. Wren glared at her closed door with anger.

"S-Sorry Wren!" Seed called from her room, feeling the effect of Wren's stare even through the door.

"You owe all of us an apology!" Granny yelled, "You nearly caused a miss-stitch!"

"Sorry..." Seed mumbled. Wren sighed and turned her attention back to her paper. To her surprise her absent minded drawing had resulted in a picture of Chase. His hair was fluffy and his smile was bright. Wren gave a yell of surprise and crumpled the paper as fast as she could.

"What's the matter dear?" Granny asked through the door.

"N-n-nothing Granny sparrow! I just... Spilled my supplies everywhere!... Yeah." Wren answered, feeling extremely flustered.

"Alright dear..." Granny replied, sounding a little confused. Wren sighed and sat down on her bed again. She glanced at her paper, then chucked it at her wall.

Seed clattered around in her room full of junk. She felt nervous that Pennelope had gotten home before they did. She hoped that she had kept her mouth shut about Chase. Every so often she would knock over large half-made contraption and cause Granny to yell again. Her apologies came automatically. She knew Granny would never get very mad at her for long. Feeling the need to calm down Seed rustled through her bag and pulled out the chunk of shortbread cookie that Shio had given her. She stared at it for a moment before Taking a large bite out of it.

"Mmmmmm!~ " She moaned in delight as the cookie melted in her mouth.

"Ahhhh... That's much better!~" She giggled and flopped down on her bed to stare at the ceiling.

A couple of hours later the rain had seemed to stop and Wren walked out of her bedroom. She made her way to the kitchen and put a fresh pot of tea on the stove. Pennelope and Granny had been playing cards, and Pennelope was losing badly.

"Come on! You can't win again! No fair! I call for a rematch!" Pennelope demanded, popping out of her chair and slamming her hands on the table. Granny chuckled and laid down her cards.

"You're just going to keep losing. You Should know when you are beaten sweetie." She said with a slight edge. Pennelope grunted and sat back down in her chair with a thump. Wren smiled.

 _"_ _I think this is the most fun Granny has had in a while."_ Wren thought as she watched the two squabble. Suddenly Granny's laugh turned into a hacking cough. Pennelope rushed over and pat her gently on the back, all of her frustration gone. Wren was about to rush over when Granny waved her away.

"I'm fine!" She assured her with a smile, "Just a small cough." Wren raised her eyebrow in doubt. Once the tea was done Wren poured a cup for granny as well, giving her no choice in the matter.

"No need to make such a fuss." She told them, taking a sip of her tea. Wren and Pennelope looked at each other with worry in their eyes. Pennelope got up and headed for the door after grabbing a small sack of food.

"I'm going to the marketplace to get you some medicine just in case..." She said as she closed the door behind her.

"Oh dear..." Granny fretted, "I don't intend to make everyone worry." Wren smiled and sipped her tea.

"We do it out of love Granny, we can't help but worry." She said. Granny gave a wrinkly smile and took another sip of her tea. Wren finished her tea then headed out.

"I'll go see if I can find anything to make up for the food Pennelope trades at the market... Or eats along the way." Wren said as she made her way out the door.

Wren made her way back into the kitchen of Chases house, bringing Seed's bag to carry anything she decided to borrow. She made her way onto the counter top where Chase had left a box of crackers and a bowl of grapes. Wren sized up the grapes and decided that they weren't too big to take back. She plucked one off of the bunch and tried to stuff it into the bag. Wren found a problem when she found a strange looking stick with a spring on it and a handful of cookie crumbs at the bottom of the bag.

 _"_ _Don't you ever clean your stupid bag Seed!"_ Wren growled in her head as she threw the stick to the floor and watched it bounce into a crevice between the kitchen tiles, never to be seen again. She then dumped all of the cookie crumbs out and put the grape inside. She quickly grabbed two crackers and ran back to the hole in hallway. She stopped abruptly as she heard the sound of people talking in the living room. She threw the bag into the hole and carefully made her way towards the sounds. What she found as Chase sitting on the couch and watching an action movie. Wren sighed, disappointed that she had been fooled by a television. She found herself curious at what the movie was about. She slowly made her way to beside the couch and peeked her head out from behind it. He was watching some strange movie that seemed to be about aliens. She watched in silence as a space ship came out of the sky and blew the white house to bits.

"Woah..." She breathed, staring at the screen in awe. She flinched when she heard Chase shift on the couch. She waited a moment, then backed up, trying to get a glimpse of him.

 _"_ _D-did he see me? No... I doubt it..."_ She mumbled in her head. Another loud explosion burst from the television. Chase had his volume up so loud it shook the pit of her stomach. She hopped up and down a little as she tried to see over the big fluffy couch. She finally saw him, slumped over on the armrest and drooling.

 _"_ _He's... sleeping?What the hell? He has the volume up all the way! And how can he sleep through this good of a movie anyway?"_ Wren thought as she stared in disbelief at the couch. She paused for a moment, then scaled the side of the couch. She stood on the back of it, looking over Chase. She rolled her eyes as another explosion roared from the television.

 _"_ _My goodness he sleeps like a rock..."_ She smirked in her mind. She cautiously slid her way onto the armrest. She tiptoed towards his head, making sure she wouldn't fall off. Chase shifted in his sleep again, making her jump back and almost loose her balance. She wobbled a little, but managed to regain her footing. Chase mumbled something and his fluffy hair fell over his face. Wren giggled a little.

 _"_ _He looks funny when he sleeps."_ She though before sliding down the couch and onto the floor again. She looked back one more time before turning to leave the room. She was frozen on the spot when she heard Chase yawn loudly and sit back up on the couch.

 _"_ _Crap!"_ Wren thought as she dived under the couch. Chase got up and stretched. He walked out of the room and all the way to the back door. He put on his shoes and walked out into the backyard.

 _"_ _What is he doing? He never goes in the backyard..."_ Wren thought curiously as she ran back into the wall.

Pennelope walked into the marketplace feeling troubled. She kept grabbing crumbs of bread occasionally from her pouch to munch on. She wandered around a bit until she saw Shio's stand.

"Hey Shio do you have anything for sickness?" She asked as she dropped the sack of food onto the stand. Shio grabbed the bag and took a look inside.

"I think this could get you some decent medicine I guess. What type of medicine do you need?" He asked, putting the bag down.

"Uhhh... I don't really know. Cough? Maybe a cold? I just came here cause Granny seemed a little sick..." Pennelope said, scratching her head. Shio thought for a moment before checking a few bottles that were set up on the shelf behind him.

"I don't know if I have anything right now for just a sickness in general...At least until my supplier drops off some stuff." He said, sighing and shrugging. Pennelope sighed and crossed her arms in thought. Just then she heard footsteps quickly approaching the stand. She felt the air whoosh as a man with a large sack over his shoulder rushed past Pennelope and into the stand.

"Sorry I'm late!" The man said, slightly smugly, as he set down his large sack.

"You're not late Derek You're early..." Shio said, seemingly used to his antics. He had ruffled ginger hair and piercing blue eyes. He seemed to be in good shape, presumably from toting supplies back and forth.

"I got the supply of tonics and leaves and stuff you asked for, now can I have my food?" He asked Shio with a jolly smile. Shio Laughed and handed him the sack of food Pennelope had put on the table. Derek gladly grabbed a fistful of food from the sack and stuffed it into his face.

"Uh, Hello, Hi! I had better get my medicine Shio. Now please." Pennelope said, growing impatient with the stranger that had just gulped down her food. Derek turned, finally realizing him and Shio weren't alone. He quickly swallowed the food, nearly choking on it as he did so, and frantically brushed the crumbs off his mouth.

"Hello," He said in a suave voice, seeming to almost change into a different person, "And you are?"

"About to slap him if he doesn't give me some medicine." She said, brushing him off and getting annoyed with Shio.

"Woah! Hold on Pennelope I've got your tonic right here. My friend Derek here just delivered it." Shio said, handing over a bottle of green liquid. Pennelope smiled with delight and stuffed it in her pocket.

"If you don't mind me asking, why do you need medicine?" Shio asked.

"Oh don't worry Seed isn't sick!" Pennelope reassured him. Shio's cheeks turned red. He opened his mouth to explain but nothing came out. "It's for Granny, she had an awful cough today. I worry about her... Seed, Wren and I are always so busy that we can't take care of her when she gets sick..." Shio turned from flustered to silent. He ducked down under the booth for a moment before coming back up with a small sack in his hand.

"Here, sick people need to keep their strength up right?" He said as he handed the sack to Pennelope. In the sack was two chunks of bread and a small piece of cookie.

"Thanks Shio! I'll be sure to give the cookie to Seed." Pennelope said with a wink. Shio blushed again as he heard a crash coming from behind him.

"Shio! Are you giving free things to your friends again?" His sister yelled. Shio flinched. "But... Octavia Granny just got sick and... They need the help." Shio explained, trying not to make her even angrier. Octavia sighed.

"Just please leave us some food to eat bro..." She said as she came out from the back. Her black hair flowed past her shoulders. She wore a slightly baggy long sleeve red shirt with a pair of gray sweat pants. Octavia Ruffled her brothers hair with a smirk and retreated back into back of the booth, giving a wave to Pennelope as she did.

"I had better get this medicine back to Granny as soon as possible. See ya!" Pennelope said as she turned around to leave. Shio gave her a wave as well and continued about his day. Derek seemed to have other ideas. He jogged and caught up to Pennelope.

"So... What's your name beautiful?" He asked, his voice sounding smooth.

"Pennelope, and your name is Derek right?" She replied, oblivious to his flirting attempts.

"Glad to see you remember it," He said with a wink as he flipped around and walked backwards in front of her.

"Hey I've never really seen you around here, where do you live anyway?" Pennelope asked. He gave her a sly smile.

"In the wild, untamed forest." He said, acting like he was the most courageous man alive.

"REALLY?" Pennelope asked, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. In her rush she had tripped over a large pebble. She fell, rather impressively, face first into the dirt, her skirt flying up past her waist. She heard a loud thump from behind her and she jumped up as fast as she could. Derek was on the ground, his face glowing red and he looked like he was in a daze. Pennelope stared at him for a moment before she realized what had happened. She blushed so hard she thought her face would catch on fire. She whipped around and ran as fast as she could all the way home.

Wren was almost home when she heard disturbingly loud rustling noises coming from the nearby shrubbery. Wren jumped back a good five centimetres in fright. Out of the bushes came a wild Chase with a puzzled look on his face. Wren stood completely still, hoping he hadn't seen her. To her surprise he walked away, looking dejected. Not a moment later he began rustling around in another area of the garden.

 _"_ _What the frick is he doing?"_ Wren asked herself, staring at Chase. Chase stopped his rummaging for a moment and cupped his hands to his mouth.

"Wren! You there?" He called. Wren nearly dropped her bag. She sprinted towards her house, praying with all her might that the walls of her house were keeping his caterwauling out. She rushed through the entrance and slammed the door. She stood panting against the wall.

"SHHHH!" Seed hushed harshly from the kitchen, "Granny is trying to sleep!"

"Oh please like she can sleep with you around..." Wren snapped in a whisper.

"What's wrong you look like you saw a ghost." Seed said, looking concerned. Wren blushed a little but was soon interrupted by a flustered Pennelope swinging the door open so fast she nearly put a hole in the wall.

"SHHHH!" Seed hushed again.

"Here you go!" Pennelope said in a rush, handing the sack of medicine and food to Seed and rushing into her bedroom. Seed and Wren stood in silence for a few moments before Wren walked over to her door.

"Pen? You okay?" She asked soothingly, gently knocking on the door.

"Go away! I don't wanna talk about it right now!" Pennelope called from behind the door. This was the first time Wren and Seed had seen Pennelope in such a flustered state. They gave each other a worried glance.


	6. Chapter 6

**I love writing this fanfiction! Remember to review if you want me to add anything. I hope you like the chapter! ~Akimo**

Wren sighed with worry, backing up from the door and crossing her arms. Seed shrugged and opened the sack Pennelope had given her.

"Sweet!" Seed said as she pulled out one of the chunks of bread. "Free food!"

"Looks like your boyfriend felt quite generous today." Wren snickered. Seed clenched her fists and blushed.

"He's not my boyfriend! Geez..." She mumbled.

"But you wish he was~ " Wren teased in a singsong voice. Seed didn't protest, only tried to hide her ever growing blush. Wren giggled and stopped teasing poor Seed.

"Is the medicine in there?" Wren asked, walking over to inspect the sack.

"Yup! Right here!" Seed said, pulling out the bottle and handing it to Wren. Seed hefted the sack over her shoulder and walked towards the kitchen.

"I'll go and put this away, go take care of Granny. We all know you're the best at that kind of thing." Seed smiled. Wren rubbed the back of her neck in doubt.

"Wow, thank you Seed" She said, taken by surprise. Wren walked over to Granny's bedroom but paused before she opened the door.

"Hey Seed, you might want to check the bottom of that sack again." Wren giggled before closing the door behind her. Seed looked at her in confusion, opening the sack again to see what she had missed. Seed's face burned red again as she spotted the shortbread cookie.

Granny sat up in her bed as Wren walked in. She coughed, making Wren flinch. Wren placed the medicine on her night stand and sat down on Granny's bed. She placed her hand gently over Granny's forehead. She gave a worried frown.

"Granny your fever has gotten worse... Have you been drinking water?" Wren asked. Granny tried to give a reassuring chuckle but it ended in coughing.

"I'm okay dear! This thing is nothing to fret about." She said, her voice coming out raspy. Wren sighed and grabbed the bottle of medicine. She pulled the cork off and passed it to Granny.

"Now take a big gulp of that, but only one! We don't want to use to much." Wren instructed. Granny reluctantly did and passed it back to Wren. She then gave a loud yawn.

"Now get some rest, you need it." Wren said with a smile, tucking Granny back into her bed.

"I'll go and grab you a glass of water." Wren said and turned to leave. Granny was stirred by muffled yelling a moment later.

"What was that?" Granny asked groggily. Wren stood stiff as a board as she recognized the voice as Chases.

"Uhhhh... That's just Seed! She's always being too loud, I'll give her a good scolding for you!" Wren lied, hoping Granny wouldn't notice.

"Are you sure...?" Granny asked as she tried to sit up in bed again.

"Yup! No worries! Get some sleep!" Wren said, tucking her in again. This time Granny listened and shut her eyes. Wren gave a small sigh of relief.

After getting Granny her water Wren flopped onto her bed with a groan of frustration.

" _What am I gonna do about that screaming idiot!"_ Wren thought as she buried her face in her pillow. Then she thought of something.

"I'll just give him some closure... yeah..." She mumbled to herself. She then quickly found some paper and a pencil in her nightstand drawer.

"Dear Chase..." She said as she wrote.

Pennelope sat at the kitchen table, trying to hang a spoon on her nose. She was extremely bored and everyone else was either sick or busy. She sighed and slumped over the table.

"I'm booooooored!" She whined, throwing the spoon at the wall. One cue she heard a knock over the usual crashing noises coming from Seed's room. She jumped from her seat and scrambled to the door.

" _We never get visitors! Yaay!"_ She squealed in her head. She swung open the door to see a surprised Shio standing at their door.

"Oh its just you." Pennelope said, feeling a little disappointed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shio asked, confused.

"Nothing! Just come on in!" Pennelope said, waving him in. As Shio stepped in he jumped at the loud banging coming from Seed's room.

"Uhhh... should you be concerned about that?" He asked. Pennelope just shrugged.

"Psshhh! Seed's just noisy." Pennelope said. Shio's face lit up at the mention of Seed. Pennelope snickered.

"She's in there." Pennelope said, pointing to Seed's door. Shio paused for a moment before knocking, trying to ignore Pennelope's giggles. The clattering continued and Shio knocked again.

"Uuuuugggg!" Pennelope groaned, getting impatient. She Grabbed the door handle and swung the door wide open.

"Oh Seeeeed!" Pennelope called, pushing Shio into the room.

"What is it Pen I'm working." Seed mumbled around the cookie in her mouth as she tinkered with a metal contraption.

"Uhh... Hi there." Shio said, awkwardly shuffling his feet. Seed froze, dropping the wrench she was holding. She stood up and spun around, nearly dropping the cookie from her mouth. She quickly noticed the cookie and got rid of it in one large chomp, nearly choking on it as she swallowed.

"Hey! Uhh... Whatcha doing here?" Seed asked. Rubbing the back of her neck nervously.

"Just thought I would come and check if you guys are doing okay over here. You know, with Granny being sick and all." He said, giving Seed a smile. Seed looked at him, slightly surprised.

"You didn't have to come all the way down here. What about your stand at the marketplace?" Seed asked, calming down a bit.

"Octavia can handle it, she does it all the time when I go out to get stuff to sell." Shio explained.

"Well thanks a bunch!" Seed said, flashing a big smile. Shio chuckled.

"You've got a little something..." He said, pointing to his cheek. Seed was puzzled for a moment before realizing she had a smudge of grease on her face.

"Ah! Uhh... Thanks!" Seed stammered, blushing as she pulled out a handkerchief and whipped it off. Shio chuckled some more and gave a small wave as he was pulled out of the room by a snickering Pennelope.

" _Oh great... Now I'm all embarrassed..."_ Seed thought, still blushing.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyine! I couldn't wait to put the next chapter up. Now that I'm on exam break I can write a lot more. hope you like it! ~Akimo**

Wren stared down at the note she had just written. She nodded with approval and folded it in half. She reached for her satchel but found nothing.

 _"_ _Dammit! I never got that back..."_ She thought as she wracked her brain for ideas of how to get her satchel back. She sighed when she realized he would probably use it as bait to try and see her again. She paced back and forth a few times before giving a frustrated grunt and took out her pencil again. She unfolded her note and quickly wrote an extra bit at the bottom.

 _P.S. Give me my satchel back! I need that to survive you selfish jerk!_

 _~Wren_

She folded it back up again and stuffed it under her belt. She checked to make sure her glass knife was still there just in case.

 _"_ _I had better check on Granny one last time before I leave..."_ She thought, her motherly side showing. She opened her door and to her surprise she saw Shio being dragged past by an excited Pennelope.

"Shio? When did you get here?" Wren asked as she squeezed past the two.

"He's here to help! Supposedly..." Pennelope answered with a grin.

"Help? With what? Or was that just an excuse to see your crush?" Wren questioned, a smirk sliding across her face. Shio's face turned red and his eyes were glued to Seed's doorway, worried that she had heard. Wren and Pennelope laughed.

"She can't hear you silly!" Pennelope said, "She can't hear anything when she's working on her weird projects." Shio sighed with relief.

"But she COULD have heard..." Shio mumbled with an annoyed frown.

"You're gonna have to tell her some day!~ " Wren said in a sing-song voice as she opened Granny's door. Shio blushed again and grit his teeth. Wren snickered as she closed Granny's door.

"Who was that?" Granny asked, stirred from her sleep.

"It's nothing to worry about Granny, Shio just stopped by to help since you get so sick." Wren explained, placing her hand on Granny's forehead. "You've got a fever again..." Granny frowned.

"I seem to be causing so much trouble..." Granny sighed as she watched Wren uncork the bottle of medicine on the nightstand. Granny gladly took a swig from the bottle.

"I'm going out for a while so yell for Pennelope if you need help. Seed is working so she probably wont hear you." Wren told her, tucking her in and giving her a comforting smile.

"Thank you dear..." Granny said as she watched Wren give a small wave before exiting the room.

Wren ran though the walls, pondering where the best place to leave the note would be. Her footholds were old, rusty nails accompanied by the occasional rope that lead down to a lower level. She paused for a moment to give it some proper thought.

 _"_ _His night stand is too dangerous... He'll probably wait for me there. If I leave it on his bookcase he'll never find it."_ She sighed deeply but only ended up choking on dust.

"Uuugg... those damn ancient tunnels have so much dust in them you could drown standing up..." Wren said, trying not to sneeze on the remaining dust. Then she remembered where that tunnel led.

 _"_ _If I'm not mistaken that tunnel leads down into Chase's living room..."_ Wren gave sly smile and slid down the old and tattered rope that lead to the passageway.

Seed sat at her workbench with a hammer in her hand. She stared at the chunk of metal though her goggles. She was trying to turn it into a flat sheet. She banged on it a few more times before spinning around in her chair. She was way to distracted to work when Shio was there. She started to sigh and slide off of her chair. As she slid her sigh turned into a groan until she was half on the floor. Before long she was back in her chair and staring at the chunk of metal again. She took off her goggles and rubbed her face. She stretched and finally got back to work. After a few moments she was oblivious to everything around her again.

"What are you working on?" A voice spoke in her ear. Seed jumped and abruptly stopped. Shio laughed, his chin was resting on her shoulder.

"Sorry for startling you." He apologized.

"it's fine!" Seed answered, trying not to blush too hard or make direct contact. Shio didn't seem to notice at all, he was too busy fiddling with the various metal and wooden objects around Seed's room. One object snapped right in two as he picked it up. His face went from confusion to shock quite quickly. He stood there with his mouth open for a few moments before speaking.

"I AM SO SORRY" He sputtered. Seed just laughed at him.

"That thing has been broken since I was twelve." She said with a dismissive wave, "I don't even remember what it was."

His face took a moment before it smiled. He started to laugh too.

"Thank goodness! I thought I was the biggest jerk there for a moment." He chuckled before adjusting his glasses, "so what exactly are you working on?"

"Nothing really," She answered with a disappointed glance at her own work, "I was just making some basic sheet metal. It's just mindlessly pounding metal for hours." Curiously Shio grabbed the hammer Seed was using and gave the metal a few soft hits. Seed laughed again.

"No no! You are being way to gentle, you have to really whack it," She instructed. Shio then wound up a big swing and brought the hammer down with a clang. He left a massive dent in the metal.

"Like that?" He asked, sounding slightly confused still. Seed looked at the mark with admiration.

"You're pretty strong." She said with a smile.

"Not really... heh." Shio blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. Seed sized him up for a moment, making Shio blush pretty hard. Once Seed realized what she did she whipped her head away, blushing as well.

"I could always help you out if you want?" Shio offered. Seed's eyes lit up like her goggles.

"That would be awesome!" She nearly exclaimed, flashing him a bright smile. She pulled out another hammer and a separate lump of metal for him to work on.

" _I'll have piles of sheet metal in no time!_ " Seed thought happily as she began to work.

Wren could barely breathe by the time she made it to Chase's living room. The tunnel came out right next to his TV. Stacks of DVDs blocked the exit. Wren groaned and pushed on them with all her might. It took her a good minute to finally move them a good five centimetres. She glanced down at her tiny frame and sighed.

 _"_ _I hate being a vegetarian sometimes..."_ She thought to herself. She looked at the nest of cords leading behind the TV with disapproval. She shrugged it off and began to climb up them, trying to get a better view.

 _"_ _I need a place where he will notice it, but not ambush me..."_ She thought as she looked out over the empty living room. When she made it to the top she sat down with a huff. She glanced at the back of the TV. She gave a sly smile as she cam up with an idea.

 _"_ _He likes movies... So all I have to do is pull out one of these cables and lease the note right here."_ She plotted in her head. She got up with a confident smile and put her plan into action.

"Einie Meinie Minie- that one!" She counted, pointing to the biggest one she could see. She cracked he knuckles and yanked as hard as she could on the cord. After a few minutes she stopped to take a break.

"Oh my god! Why is it so hard to pull out a little cable!" She mumbled to herself. After ten more minutes of trying she eventually settled for a slightly smaller cable.

"That better mess some stuff up." She said as she carefully left the folded note beneath the cable. She left in a hurry, making sure she moved the DVDs back to their original position as much as she could. She still wasn't aware that she was anxious for his reply.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while I was pretty busy with final exams but I'm all free now! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter :D**

 **~Akimo**

Seed whipped her forehead as she looked down at her and Shio's completed work. Together they had made six sheets of metal in just a couple of hours. Shio had completed four of them and Seed had only completed two. Seed walked over to the door and opened it a crack.

"PEN!" She yelled out the door.

"WHAT?" Pennelope yelled back.

"Can you make me and Shio some lemonade?" She asked a little quieter.

"Okay!" Pennelope yelled and there was a loud noise as she aggressively started to make lemonade. Shio gave Seed a worried look.

"Its fine! She is just really excited." Seed explained.

"About what exactly?" Shio asked, still confused.

"Everything!" Seed replied casually as she picked up the stack of sheet metal and started to carry them to the other side of the room.

 _"_ _These are a lot heavier than I thought..."_ Seed thought in her head. She felt her fingers start to slip about half way across the room. She wasn't watching where she was going and caught her foot on a very poorly placed coil of rope. A second later she found herself face first in a pile of metal and wood. Her knees and face stung, but she had managed to save the sheet metal from the fall at the cost of bodily harm. Suddenly the weight of the sheet metal was gone and someone was pulling her up. Shio, face painted with worry, was helping her off the floor. Seed was slightly dizzy and didn't realize how sharp that pile of junk was.

"Oops!" She laughed awkwardly, trying not to look like a fool, "I should probably do some cleaning."

"Are you okay?" Shio asked, looking at her now bloody face.

"I'm good. I'm just a little clumsy." Seed laughed, finally realizing the pain in her knees and face.

"Uhhh... Yeah we need to get you some help." Shio said, grabbing her arm and pulling her out to the kitchen.

"I'm fine!" Seed said. Even she heard the uncertainty in her voice.

"Pennelope?" Shio asked, pulling her attention away from her lemonade.

"Yeah? Whats-" Pennelope was cut short by the sight of Seed's face. A moment later she burst out laughing.

"What did you two kids do in there?" Pen asked, nearly killing herself laughing. "You're into some weird stuff!"

"PEN!" Seed yelled. She was blushing but hoped the blood would cover it, or at least make it less noticeable.

"Yeah Pennelope, please stop laughing she kind of needs medical attention." Shio said, more serious than expected. Pennelope's eyes glinted with the opportunity. Pennelope cleared her throat.

"Yes! The med kit is right in this cupboard, but I can't really use anything in it properly..." Pennelope explained as she pulled out the med kit and handed it to Shio.

"I'll go see if I can find Wren, shes good with this kind of stuff." Pennelope lied, giving her excuse for leaving. She pulled on a sweater and before leaving placed her hand on Shio's shoulder and whispered, "Good luck." with a smirk. Shio started to blush quite hard, though Seed was too busy looking at her knees to notice.

"What did she say?" Seed asked after she was gone.

"Oh nothing!" Shio said, turning his attention as quickly as he could to the med kit.

Wren hung upside down on the rusty nails she used for footholds in the tunnels. She crossed her arms impatiently. She didn't want to go home, but she couldn't hang around the house either, Chase would see her and definitely want to talk to her. She was jolted back to reality when she heard footsteps through the tunnels. She was confused when Pennelope bolted past. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted wren's legs.

"Hey I actually ran into you." she said with surprise. "By the way, don't go home I left Shio and Seed alone. I'm bored I'm gonna run around for a bit. BYYYE!" and like that Pennelope was running through the tunnels again.

"Be extra careful of Cha-, that human!" Wren yelled after her, catching herself mid sentence.

 _"_ _I can't call him by his name. I'm never going to see him ever again!"_ She swore to herself in her head, _"except for, you know, when I borrow stuff... Or travel anywhere... Damn..."_ Wren realized the seriousness of her situation.

Wren hung there until her head felt funny. She finally decided to wander back towards Chase's TV. The DVDs were exactly as she had left them, which made her feel a little relieved knowing he hadn't found her secret entrance. She climbed back up the cords and to her surprise there was a poorly folded large peace of paper. She unfolded it with some difficulty.

 **Dear Wren,**

 **No way am I gonna forget about meeting you, I mean there are tiny people! That's cool! It's like some sort of dream! But now I know it wasn't thanks to your note :). Why don't you want to talk to me? I wont hurt you, I saved you remember? By the way, if you ever want your satchel, you could always just ask me nicely, in person.**

 **Your giant friend, Chase**

Wren balled her fists in annoyance.

 _"_ _This human doesn't get it. When I say forget me I mean FORGET ME."_ Wren thought while gritting her teeth. She lessened her grip on the note, _"_ _At least I'm not forgetable..."_ She thought to herself. She shook her head clear of her thoughts and ripped off a corner of the note and grabbed her pencil from her pocket.

 **Dear Human,**

 **What did I tell you? Don't look for me, talk to me, or MOST IMPORTANTLY reply to me. Just give me my satchel and we can part ways. It would only cause problems to be friends. Also, your handwriting is horrible, work on it some time.**

 **~Wren**

Wren took a deep breath and folded it neatly. She pushed the old note off the side of the table, so Chase would notice the new one. She took one last crack at trying the big power cord on the back of the TV before turning to the cable she pulled out before. To her surprise it was taped to the TV and had a small sticky note that read "please don't". Wren just laughed and pulled her trusty knife off of her belt. She cut the tape with a little difficulty, but eventually she got it off. Setting down her knife, she pulled with all her might until the cord was unplugged. At that moment she heard the backdoor open. Panic filled her chest and she slid down the cords so fast she almost hurt herself. She quickly pulled the DVDs over her hole best that she could before she saw Chase walk into the room and flop onto his couch. She gave a sigh of relief that ended in a coughing fit due to all the dust. Chase's head shot up at the sound and he looked around frantically. Wren sprinted down the tunnel as fast as she could, covering her mouth the whole time.

Pennelope skipped through the tunnels happily. Giggling at the thought of Seed and Shio being left alone.

"I'm quite the match maker~ " She snickered as she went. Her stomach growled and she turned to head to the kitchen. She ended up near the bottom of the fridge. She frowned when she realized she had no means of borrowing food. She looked around for a bit but found no easily accessable bits of food. She decided she might as well make her way outside. She spotted the back door and noticed it was open just a crack. She looked at the back door of Chase's house, then back at the borrower tunnel. She groaned as she thought of the effort it would take to go all the way through the tunnels to reach outside. She moment later she shrugged and walked right up to the back door and out into the garden, only half a room away from Chase who was on the couch. Pennelope misjudged the distance of the door frame to the first step and walked off of a four centimetre drop. She landed on the pavement with a soft thud.

"God dammit!" she yelled as she got up and assessed the damage. Her knees were scraped pretty bad due to the fact that she was wearing a skirt. The palms of her hands were slightly scraped as well.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" A panicked but whispering voice came from the overgrown bushes that lined the steps. Wren jumped into a very poor defensive stance as a freaked out Derek jumped out and rushed over to her. He grabbed her hand and ran back to the bushes.

"OUCHIE!" Pennelope said, emphasizing her injuries. She yanked her hand away.

"Not so loud!" Derek hushed, covering her mouth. Pennelope just looked at him with an impatient look.

"It's not safe this close to the door." He whispered as he grabbed her hand again and led her to the bottom of the bush. Pennelope pulled herself free again.

"O-U-C-H-I-E" She said, looking him in the eyes and sounding out each letter. He looked at her with an extremely confused look.

"Why are you so calm?! You just waltzed out of that human's house without hesitation!" He whispered, still in a slight panic.

"You don't have to whisper." Pennelope stated, crossing her arms and turning her head with a huff. Derek sighed and rubbed the back of his neck in frustration. Pennelope paused for a moment, then forgot her annoyance entirely.

"Wait, what the heck are you doing here?" She asked. Derek's cheeks turned pink.

"Well... I wanted to find you and apologize for... you know..." Derek was looking at his feet. Pennelope stared at him in confusion. "You know cause I saw your... underwear..." Derek finally mumbled out. Pennelope turned bright red. She had totally forgotten about that incident until now. They stood there in awkward silence for a moment or two before Derek cleared his throat.

"Well, I formally apologize. See you later... I guess." He said and turned to leave. Pennelope grabbed his arm.

"You don't... have to go. I'm not mad about that or anything..." She said, almost a whisper. She was still blushing pretty hard. A smirk slid across Derek's face.

"You don't have to whisper." He snickered.

Pennelope tightened her grip on his arm a little and started to pout, her face turning even more red.

"It still hurts you know..." she wined, changing the subject.

"Well we're going to have to fix that. Sit down, your knees look worse." He smiled, plopping down his bag of tonics and dug through them. Pennelope obeyed, sitting down and quietly waited for Derek. Derek pulled out a fancy looking red phial. He displayed it proudly. Pennelope looked at it with curiosity.

"This is the legendary sap of the red wood tree!" He announced. He paused for a moment, trying to add effect. "It is said it heals wounds just as well as human medicines!" Pennelope looked at it in wonder and Derek gave a smirk. He poured a little onto his fingers and smeared it on each of Pennelope's knees carefully. She flinched a few times but nothing more. Pennelope held out her hands, but Derek shook his head.

"I'm pretty sure you don't want sticky tree sap all over your hands all day." He said. Pennelope shrugged.

"Damn, I was planning on putting it all over Seed's stuff. Oh boy would she be mad!" Pennleope laughed. Derek laughed with her. He tried to wipe the sap onto a tall blade of grass. The only made his hand stick to it. He struggled for a few minutes while Pennelope killed herself laughing. He eventually just settled for ripping his hands free, grass and all.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! Thanks for all the views! I really like this chapter, it was really fun to write. So I hope you guys like it!**

 **~Akimo**

Seed sighed as Shio dug through the first aid kit. She sat in one of the kitchen chairs, repeating over and over "I'm fine! I'm fine!"

"Your face doesn't look fine..." Shio with a worried frown. Seed just brushed him off and flashed him a smile. The truth was that she wasn't as fine as she let on. Her face hurt quite a bit and her knees were only slightly better. Shio placed a bottle of disinfectant and some cotton balls on the table. He opened the bottle and looked inside.

"Is this actual human medicine?" He asked with disbelief. Seed nodded.

"We got some on a super risky bathroom borrowing. It involved lots of roe and a drill." Seed explained. He head it in his hand, checking its weight for a moment.

"I could trade this for a lot..." He thought out loud. He turned his attention back to Seed. He took a cotton ball and dipped it in the disinfectant. Seed froze as Shio dabbed it on her nose. Seed squeezed her eyes shut and accidentally let a hiss of pain out through her teeth.

"Sorry!" Shio said, dabbing her face again. Seed clamped her mouth shut, making sure she let no more sounds of pain out.

"It's fine! I was just startled." She said, trying to ease his worry. Shio gave her a doubtful look. He noticed her fists were clenched and he sighed.

"Okay. Hold on lets do something else that doesn't hurt as badly first." He said looking around the kitchen. He got up and rummaged through some drawers.

"I swear it doesn't hurt that bad!" Seed told him, still trying to make him not worry. Shio ignored her and pulled out a washcloth from one of the drawers. He turned on the tap and wet the cloth.

"You have working plumbing?" He asked, surprised. Seed nodded with a smile, feeling proud of her handiwork.

"I tapped into the gutter water, filtered it, and stored it in a sealed tin can. It took five years to complete." She explained. He just nodded with interest.

"Let's put this on your face first to get all that blood off." He said, laying the washcloth on her face. Seed muttered a "thank you" through the washcloth, but Shio didn't hear it. Seed wiped her face clean, making sure to hide all signs of it stinging. When she was done she left it on the table.

"Lets try this again. I don't want it to get it infected." Shio said, picking up the cotton swab again. He started to dab her face. This time Seed didn't flinch. He leaned in close, squinting to make sure he got all of the scrapes. This made Seed freeze. Her face started to turn red again.

"Why is it still so red..." Shio asked as he continued to dab. Seed couldn't look him in the eye.

"That's not... A scrape..." Seed muttered out. Shio stopped dabbing. His eye brows furrowed in confusion.

"What do you mean?" He asked, clueless.

"uhhh... I mean we should probably do my knees too!" Seed stuttered, pulling up her pant leg to expose her scraped knee.

"Oh! Yeah those look kinda bad too." Shio said, totally forgetting about her face. Seed let out a small sigh of relief. Shio diligently wiped Her knees clean, then proceeded to dab them with disinfectant.

"I think I'm done." Shio said with a smile. Seed was still a bit out of it until he got up.

"T-Thank you!" she smiled, getting up as well. He noticed the half made lemonade sitting on the counter.

"I guess Pen never finished making it..." she thought out loud and walked over. Seed added the last few bits to the lemonade and took a sip.

"Here, have some. It's pretty good." Seed said, handing the lemonade to Shio. He smiled and took a sip. He soon chugged it down. Seed finished making the other glass of lemonade and took another sip.

Suddenly Seed heard coughing in the other room. Nearly choking on her lemonade, she rushed to Granny's room. Seed sung open the door so hard she nearly dented the wall. Granny was upright in her bed, sputtering and coughing. Seed ran over and rubbed her back comfortingly. Shio came in a few moments later with a tall glass of water. He handed it to Granny and she chugged it down after she stopped coughing.

"Thank you..." Granny croaked. Her whole frame was shivering slightly. Seed put her hand over her forehead and furrowed her brow.

"Granny! Why didn't you say anything! We were right in the next room and you have a boiling hot fever!" Seed yelled, scrambling through the drawers to find the bottle of medicine.

"It's not that bad... You shouldn't worry so much. My fever will burn itself out." Granny mumbled the best she could under her pile of blankets. Seed found the bottle and passed it to Granny, who proceeded to take a good swig.

"Can you grab another wash cloth?" Seed asked Shio, who was standing by the door, ready to run and grab anything he could. He nodded quickly then ran out to the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a damp washcloth. Seed grabbed it from his hands and placed it on Granny's forehead.

"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" A voice came from the doorway. Suddenly Pennelope was in the room and leaning over Granny.

"Will you be quiet..." Granny muttered sternly. Seed snickered, seeing as Pennelope was the loud one for once. Derek poked his head around the corner, feeling confused and abandoned. Shio looked at Derek with surprise.

"Dude? What the heck are you doing here?" He asked.

"So this is that chick you like's place." Derek said, looking around. Shio covered Derek's mouth so hard it produced an audible slap. Seed wasn't paying attention though, she was too busy fretting over Granny.

"Pen, you watch Granny I'm gonna go and make her some soup." Seed said, running off to the kitchen and putting on an apron. Shio followed Seed, but stood around awkwardly, not knowing anything about cooking.

"I'm home...?" Wren said, walking trough the front door. She grit her teeth when she realized their small house was full of people.

"WREN HELP." Pennelope called from Granny's room.

"Be quiet!" Granny called in her bed, bursting into a coughing fit. Wren was in the room in a split second. She grilled Pennelope for a few minutes before turning back to Granny. She worked quickly, checking Granny over for signs of serious sickness. Wren gave a sigh of relief, realizing it wasn't too serious.

"Uhhh... What should I do?" Derek said awkwardly, pointing to himself.

"You and Pen go off into the forest and find some feverfew and ragweed leaves." Wren instrucked. Pennelope saluted and ran to into Seed's room, grabbing a few things out of the box in the corner before starting off towards the door, then turning around.

"what exactly is... that stuff..." Pennelope asked, tilting her head. Wren face palmed and quickly scribbled out a picture of the herbs.

"Bye guys!" Pennelope called, pulling Derek behind her. Wren started out the door as well.

"I'm going to get some honey from the house!" She called, rushing off.

"But I saw a beehive on my way over. It's just hanging in that tree in the corner of the yard." He told her.

"I'll... I'll just get it from the house." Wren said, stopping in her tracks.

"But..." Shio tried to reason, but Wren was already running off again.

"The house it better!" She yelled once more.

Wren ran towards the kitchen, thinking about the honey. She stopped abruptly, realizing she had no means of getting to it. She groaned and turned towards the old tunnels leading to the back of the TV. Her only change was if Chase had finally left her satchel with his note. She groaned again as she Climbed up the cord's of the TV, annoyed at her own forgetfulness. She saw a brand new note as she peeked over the ledge of the table. Cautiously she pulled herself up. She grit her teeth when she saw her satchel wasn't there.

"I would kill him if I could!" She yelled. She sighed and slid into a sitting position.

 _"_ _Okay I wouldn't KILL him..."_ She thought as she pulled the note closer to read.

Dear Wren,

My handwriting isn't that bad! My friend's writing is worse I swear! And come on! Being at least friends isn't so bad. We've talked, you know I'm nice. You wouldn't be writing me notes if you didn't secretly want it ;) I mean come on girl. Anyway, I've told you if you want your satchel you are going to have to talk to me.

Your human, Chase

P.S. You left your knife here. Finders keepers :)

Wren pouted at the note, the crumpled it as much as should could seeing as it was almost twice her size.

 _"_ _How dare he!"_ she yelled in her head. _"That ass keep stealing my stuff! I mean come on! Why can't he just cooperate!"_ She continued to whine in her head as she layed on her belly and beat the table with her fists. She tore a corner of the paper off and began to write furiously.

Dear Chase,

Can't you just please give me my stuff! All you ever seem to do is steal it. That knife was cool okay :( And Yet again can yo-

Wren's writing was cut short by a gentle laugh behind her. A shadow was cast over her and her heart stopped.

"I can see you, you know." Chase smirked.

Pennelope and Derek trudged through the forest, the sunlight peeking through the leaves of the trees. Pennelope gazed around, making various noises of excitement. Derek smirked as he watched her, walking a bit behind her. Pennelope carried a large scissor blade on her back. She had grabbed it from a box of improvised weapons before they had left. Derek carried only his tonics and potions. Derek was quite relaxed,feeling at ease much more than in Chases house. Pennelope on the other hand was jumping at every noise the forest made. The screeches and scuttling of the creatures were everywhere, much different to the calm quiet of the house.

"Can I see that picture again?" Derek asked, poking Pennelope in the shoulder. Pennelope nodded, pulling the diagram from her pocket and handing it to him. He glanced at it, then looked around for anything similar to the drawings. A creature screamed from the bushes and Pennelope let out a squeal. She Grabbed Derek's arm so tight it almost hurt. He smiled and raised his eyes brows at her.

"Scared?" He asked with a chuckle. Pennelope's eyes turned from fearful to annoyed.

"No! I'm just not used to it..." she pouted, crossing her arms. Derek laughed and linked arms with her.

"Come on I think I saw some of the herbs we need by that tree." He said, pulling her along. A small bundle of leaves sat at the bottom of the tree. Derek took a moment to look at the picture again before nodding.

"This seems to be the feverfew... I think." He said before Pennelope snatched the diagram away from him to look at it.

Ummm... It should be. Yeah! It looks pretty similar!" She smiled, picking a couple of the leaves. Derek sighed as Pennelope tried to crumple the leaves small enough to put in her pocket. He took one of them from her and rolled it neetly.

"There you go!" He laughed, giving her a smile as he handed it back to her. She giggled, realizing her mistake and rolled up the rest of hers. She jumped again at the sound of hostile buzzing.

"Oh that's just a bee hive. They are pretty calm when nothing is trying to kill it." Derek said, unfazed by the noises.

"THAT STUPID MAGPIE IS TRYING TO EAT THOSE BEES!" Pennelope yelled, pointing at the bee hive sitting in the tree above them. Before Derek could say a word Pennelope had grabbed a rope from over her shoulder and threw it into the lowest branches.

"No! do-" Derek tried to protest, but Pennelope wasn't listening. She was pulling herself into the tree with amazing speed. Derek followed, trying not to look upwards beause of Pennelope's skirt. Pennelope was soon on the same branch as the magpie. She grabbed the scissor from her back and swung it at the bird.

"DON'T BE SUCH A BULLY!" She yelled, giving the magpie a good slice. It screeched and hopped around, showing Pennlope it's vicious eyes. It pecked furiously, Nearly hitting Pennelope. It's beak made large dents in the branch. Derek saw the battle from the branches edge, nearly screaming at the sight of Pennelope nearly being maimed. Pennelope laughed as she dodged it's beak, coming in close and swinging the scissor at its chest. The magpie screamed in pain and flapped it's wings, creating a gale that made Pennelope loose her balance. She slipped and fell onto her butt, giving the magpie the perfect chance to strike. Terror pierced her heart as she realized she was done for. The magpie thrust it's beak at her in rage. Pennelope curled into a ball and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to keep in the tears. A colourful explosion burst in the magpie's face. It was taken by surprise and stumbled, falling off the branch. It caught itself in it's free fall and spread it's wings. It circled the bee hive a few times before squawking one more time and flying away.

Pennelope sat there for a few moments, recovering from the fight. When she opened her eyes she realized she was being hugged. Derek was hugging her, rubbing her back soothingly. He had taken a potion from his bag of strange tonics and thrown it at the magpie. The branch and most of Pennelope was covered in dull blue dust.

"You can't just rush off towards wild animals like that." Derek said, not angry but concerned. Pennelope nodded, wiping the remnants of tears out of the corners of her eyes. Finally it sank in that Derek was hugging her. Her face turned a bright red and she pulled him off of her.

"Thank you a bunch! I would have been dead!" She giggled, brushing off the fact that she was almost bird food. She peered over his shoulder to see the damage that was done to the bee hive. There was a large hole and some injured bees but otherwise it was alright. She saw a number of bees laying on the branches. There was one small bee laying limp on the branch Pennelope and Derek were standing on. Pennelope rushed over and gingerly picked the little bee up.

"You okay?" She asked, gently petting it's fuzzy body. It's small wings fluttered for a moment. It sputtered like a car starting up. A few moments later the little bee was happily buzzing around, flying in circles around Pennelope. Pennelope Laughed, happy that her fight hadn't been in vein. The bee cuddled in Pennelope's arms, tickling her nose with it's fluff. It buzzed back into the air as Pennelope gave a loud sneeze, realizing she was now covered in pollen.

"Maybe that should be your name, Pollen." She smiled, reaching up and petting the bee again. Pennelope gave a small wave to the bee hive as she slid down the rope with Derek.

Derek sighed when they got to the bottom.

"I think we should just go back. That was a bit hectic. We can pick up the other herb on the way back if we see it." Derek said divisively, walking back the way they had came. Pennelope pouted but didn't protest. They walked for a while before Pennelope realized a dull buzzing behind them. She spun on the spot, still on edge from the magpie. The little bee from before nearly bumped into her, buzzing happily when she finally noticed it. Pennelope smiled brightly and reached up, pulling Pollen into a cuddle.

"Pollen! What are you doing? Go back to your hive, you can't come with us." Derek told the little bee. Pennelope frowned.

"Come oooon! She's so cute! Don't you want to keep her?" Pennelope protested. Derek chuckled and looked at Pollen. The little bee seemed to attached to Pennelope already. He smiled shrugging his shoulders in defeat.

"Well, she is really cute." He said with a small laugh and continued walking. Pennelope gave a shout of victory, waving her fist in the air she followed Derek.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone! I hope you are liking the story, I've been kinda busy lately so sorry ^^' I forget to update... But hey I have free time so heres a chapter for ya! I thought I was suposed to be LESS busy in summer but apperently not :/. Anyway have fun seeing the crew and their weird interactions!**

 **~Akimo**

Wren stood, frozen with horror. She slowly turned around to see the towering Chase with a goofy smile on his face. She couldn't choke out any words.

"I finally found you! You sneaky devil." chase smiled, squatting down so he was eye level with Wren. Wren scrambled for the edge of the table.

"Not so fast! Don't you dare think of running off this time." He said, putting up one giant hand to stop her.

"I told you not to look for me!" Wren yelled, spinning to face him. Chase just sighed.

"And I told you I would love to be friends. I mean what's stopping us? You must be so lonely in your house by yourself. I know I am..." He trailed off, playing with his fluffy hair shyly. Wren's face softened a bit.

"It's just... Humans are dangerous. I'm just trying to survive here okay?" She explained. He crossed his arms.

"But I could help you! I swear I'm not bad. Wouldn't it actually be safer for me to just bring you food and stuff?" He smirked, bringing up a good point. Wren opened her mouth to reply and shut it again, unable to come up with a good argument.

 _"_ _This human!"_ She yelled in her head. She paced impatiently back and forth for a few moments before turning back to him.

"Hey, could you get me some... Crackers? I'm kinda hungry." She lied, trying to find an escape. His smile faded.

"No way. The last time I got you something to ran for the hills. No way, unless you come with me." He said sternly. Her face turned pale.

 _"_ _No way am I being handled by him. He'd probably squish me to death."_ She thought, shaking her head in a definite no. He scratched the back of his head.

"Then I guess no crackers for you." He laughed, taking a seat on the floor to make himself more comfortable. Wren sighed, sitting down herself when she realized she wasn't getting away anytime soon.

"So where exactly is my stuff?" Wren asked finally. Chase giggled.

"Well. Right here actually." He said, pulling her satchel from his pocket. Wren jumped up again and ran over to the edge of the table that was closest to him.

"Hey! Come on! Give me it1 I need that to live!" She yelled, reaching desperately from the table as if she could somehow reach him without falling to her doom. Chase's giggle turned into a chortle.

"You look so cute! Oh my gosh! Hahaha!" He laughed. She grit her teeth.

"Hey! I didn't choose to be tiny!" She yelled at him, clenching her hands into tiny fists, turning away so he wouldn't see her actually blushing. He nearly fell over as he laughed, but composed himself before Wren got too angry. He stuffed the satchel back into his pocket.

"If you want them back you are gonna have to talk to me you know." He said with a mischievous grin. Wren groaned, sitting down with a huff. He giggled a little bit again. He sat for a bit before sighing.

"Are you just going to sit and watch me?" She asked, turning around to face him. He thought about it for a moment before replying.

"Well... I never really thought I would find you again. So now I can't just let you walk away now." He smiled awkwardly.

"So I'm guessing that means you wont give me my stuff back yet..." Wren frowned. Chase nodded with a smirk. Wren rocked back and forth impatiently as she sat.

"Can I ask you one favour? This one is real. I promise I wont run away." She asked, looking him dead in the eyes to make sure he knew she was serious. Chase was hesitant, but nodded seriously.

"Could you get me some honey? I'm running low and it's kind of an emergency." She asked, hating that she had to rely on Chase. "If you just gave me my stuff back I could get it myself... buuut." She brought up. Chase narrowed his eyes, thinking she would run away again.

"If get you some do you promise to talk to me again?" He proposed. Wren nodded reluctantly.

"Okay okay, fine. Stay right here, and you better still be here when I get back!" He called as he ran off to the kitchen. A moment later he returned with a bottle. He was panting slightly.

"That was fast..." Wren commented. Chase Rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"Well I had to run okay. I thought you would ditch me again." He mumbled. Wren was surprised he actually cared that much. He set the bottle of honey down next to Wren. Wren stared at it for a moment, waiting for Chase to do something with it. Chase just stood, looking at her like she was supposed to do something.

"You do know I can't take ALL of this right?" Wren said, gesturing to the bottle of honey that was nearly twice her size. Chase suddenly realized his mistake and snatched the bottle back as he blushed.

"Oops... I don't meet much tiny people." He said, grabbing a thimble out of a drawer beside the couch.

"We prefer Borrowers thank you." Wren snorted, feeling inadequate and unimportant beside the human. Chase just laughed and filled the thimble with honey.

"So that's what you are. At least I know now, I would hate to be rude." He smiled. He handed her the much more manageable thimble. Wren gave him a small smile of gratitude that stunned him for a moment. She turned to leave but then realized she would be giving her secret entrance by his DVDs away if she did. Chase sat down on his couch and watched her climb down the cords, stop and think.

"Lost?" He asked with a slight snicker. Wren grit her teeth.

"No! I bet I know this house better than you do!" She retorted. Chase threw his hands up in surrender.

"Hey I bet you do, I only inherited this house from my great aunt last year." He said, getting up from the couch. "But I bet it takes a while to get home from here. You said you lived in the garden right?"

"Yeah wh-" Wren's question was cut short by a large human hand grasping her body. She kicked and screamed like a mad man but he didn't let go. He headed off towards his back door. Wren flailed for a good five minutes before finally stopping.

"You done?" He asked with a chuckle. Wren just frowned angrily. She finally relaxed as he opened the door and walked outside. His grip was firm but soft. Taking care not to hurt her, but at the same time never daring to drop her. By the time he had walked half way into the garden she had grown comfortable in his grip. He opened his hand and let her crawl into the grass.

"You should really mow the lawn..." Wren brought up, barely managing to look over the grass. Chase just laughed and sat down in the grass with her.

"Sorry about not waring you." He apologized, playing with the grass in front of him.

"Thanks... for the lift." Wren mumbled, barely audible to the towering human. Chase smiled and gave her a wave as he got up, his face had a slight pink glow to them. Wren waved back and to her surprise was smiling as well. He ran off into the house and Wren sighed deeply.

Seed stood in the kitchen, stirring a pot of soup and glancing at the door. Shio was looking over her shoulder with interest.

"You are a pretty good cook." He said, looking at the pot. Seed smiled to herself, thinking of different dishes she could make for him. Lost in her thoughts she nearly spilled a bit of soup while stirring. Seed nearly jumped out of her skin when Shio grabbed the spoon she was stirring with.

"Careful! Don't spill it." He laughed and Seed could barely breathe.

"Oooooo! Steamy!" Came a snickering voice from the hallway. Shio jumped, spilling a bit of the soup onto the hot stove.

"Pen! You made me spill!" Seed yelled, grabbing a cloth and wiping the mess up before it could burn too badly. Shio gave Pennelope a death glare, but she just snickered and skipped into the kitchen with a happy smile. Derek followed, setting the herbs they had collected down on the table. Seed stopped wiping and froze for a moment.

"What's that?" She asked, turning around to see a small bee buzzing around the room.

"PEN WHY IS THERE A BEE IN HERE?! GET IT OUT!" Seed yelled, winding up her cloth to swat at the tiny fuzz ball. Pennelope grabbed Pollen, hugging her closely.

"NO! Pollen is my friend! You can't hurt her!" Pennelope yelled, burying her face in Pollen's fuzz. Seed's anger melted and he gave a little sigh. She turned back around and finished wiping up the soup.

"Well... Make sure you keep it out of Granny's room, I don't want her getting any more sick." Seed said, throwing the cloth into the sink.

"Pollen isn't an it she is a her." Pennelope corrected, letting Pollen go and watching her buzz around the room. Seed turned her attention back to the soup. She pulled out a spoon and handed it to Shio. He nodded and took a taste of the soup. He smiled and nodded.

"Wow! It's really good!" He beamed. Seed's face lit up as Derek and Pennelope laughed in the corner. Seed ignored them and turned the heat off on the stove. She took out a small clay bowl and dished some soup into it. She picked up the hot bowl with a dishtowel so she didn't burn her hands and brought it to Granny's room. Granny smiled as Seed walked in.

"Granny you are supposed to be sleeping." Seed frowned as she sat on the bed. Granny just gave a slight chuckle and held her hands out for the soup. Seed handed the soup over, careful not to spill it. Granny took a big spoonful but Seed caught her wrist.

"Woah! I just made that like two seconds ago you might want to let it cool down." Seed instructed. Granny frowned.

"Well why didn't you let it cool before bringing it to me." Granny retorted, blowing on the spoonful of scalding soup. Seed just smiled at the criticism.

 _"_ _If she is this snappy she must be feeling a bit better."_ seed thought as she stood up and turned to leave.

"Anything else you need?" She asked. Granny shook her head and Seed nodded, walking out of Granny's room and closing the door quietly behind her. Seed sighed and sat down in one of the kitchen chairs. She looked to the door, wondering where Wren was and why it was taking so long.

"I'm going to go and see if I can find Wren..." She said, making for the door.

"I should go with you! You know... for protection.. or something." Shio offered, jumping at the chance to be with Seed. Seed paused for a moment, then shook her head.

"If I bring more borrowers then we would be a lot more noticeable, and I don't want to chance it seeing as Wren has been gone for a while. She might be in trouble, and if she is I'll come back and get help. Okay?" Seed explained, hoping she didn't hurt his feelings. Shio just nodded thoughtfully.

"Good idea, We'll all stay and look after Granny, good luck!" He smiled, giving a wave as she ran out the door.

Seed kept her eyes peeled for any sign of Wren's green tunic as she wandered through the walls of the house. She eventually sighed and gave up after a few long moments and decided to give the garden a shot. Seed made it a good two feet into the backyard when she heard the back door open. She panicked, scrambling back into the cover of a nearby rose bush. She thorns pricked her skin but it was either this or being caught and Seed would rather die than be seen by a human. The human had his hands cupped, holding something that he obviously didn't want to break. He walked to about the middle of the backyard. Squatting down he unclasped his hands and revealed Wren. Seed reeled in shock for a moment before clutching the rose branch with anger.

 _"_ _I warned her about humans but noooooo. She had to go and befriend one and endanger everyone."_ Seed snarled in her head. After a few moments of watching them talk the human walked back inside the house and Wren turned towards the house, looking around for anyone who might have seen them. Seed ran out from under the rose bush and made a bee line for Wren.

"WREEEEN!" She yelled as she ran, surprising her and making her nearly drop the honey.

"What the hell Seed!" Wren yelled, her eyes darting to the door, making sure Chase was inside.

"Wren. Can you please explain to me why you were just over there," Seed pointed to where Wren and Chase were a few moments prior. "Yeah right there, I dunno, TALKING WITH A HUMAN. NOT TO MENTION LETTING HIM CARRY YOU." Seed said harshly, sticking her face in Wren's. Wren stopped dead for a second, realizing that Seed had seen pretty much everything.

"Well.. Look Seed I don't have my satchel and-" Wren tried to explain but Seed was too angry to listen.

"Relationships with humans contradict every Borrower's very nature! You could have been killed or worse, sold to a scientist or something. I mean we could fetch a fair price on the black market right? But nope! You decided to endanger our family because you kinda liked the guy. You Don't even-" This time it was Seed who was cut off.

"LISTEN, maybe you want to play it safe and be boring, never taking risks. But Granny needed some honey, and I found a way to get it. Now if you want to sit here and waste time bickering over the fact that I made a relationship that could get us VALUABLE RESOURCES then go ahead and keep on yelling but I'm going to get this honey to our lovely Granny before she gets any worse." Wren said, her cold stare harsher than ever and her voice as cold as an icicle and just as sharp. Seed was shaking with anger but said nothing. She just stormed off with a very long, loud, and angry groan.

Wren sighed deeply. She looked down at the honey, then shook her head free of her thoughts. She set a brisk pace back to her house.

 _"_ _Damn it! Why didn't she just stay at home. Now she's angry..."_ Wren thought as she sighed again. _"I told that fool to not look for me. Its not like it's my fault!"_ Wren nodded, her reasoning clearing all doubts from her head. By the time she was finished thinking she had made it home.


	11. Chapter 11

**What's up! My gosh I'm so sorry its been forever since I posted a new chapter. I've been super busy with grade 12 and I also have my exams coming up. I finally got the time to write when Christmas break came around. I tried my best to make the character interactions really genuine this chapter. I hope you guys like it! and have a merry Christmas! ~Akimo**

Wren huffed as she closed the door behind her. Pennelope looked at her from the kitchen with a puzzled expression. Wren took a breath and composed herself before walking into the kitchen and setting the honey on the table. Shio was standing in the kitchen, rinsing a pot in the sink. Wren held back a chuckle at his pink apron which he had obviously borrowed from Pennelope.

"Hey! No laughing! That's my only rule!" Shio stated, seeing Wren cover her laughter.

"No no! I'm not laughing!" Wren denied as she shared an amused glance with Pennelope. Shio just grunted and continued on with the pot. Wren realized there was a buzzing noise growing louder and louder. A second later a frenzied Pollen tried to knock over the thimble full of honey. Wren snatched it away before the young bee could do any harm.

"Why is there a bee in here?" Wren asked, holding Pollen away from the honey.

"Oh me and Pennelope found it when we went out to get those herbs. It was attacked and it took a liking to Pennelope after she saved it." Derek explained with a smirk, bragging about someone else for once.

"Just make sure to keep it out of trouble, and since it followed you home you get the responsibility Pen." Wren told her, hoping she wasn't making a mistake. Pennelope nodded vigorously and pulled the fuzzy bee into a hug. A few moments later Seed opened the door and slammed it behind her and stormed to her room, slamming that door too. Wren ignored her but Everyone else looked after her, confused. Shio put the now clean pot onto the counter and turned off the water. Derek yawned and walked to the front door. He opened it a crack and realized the sun was starting to set. Shio hung up his pink apron and was about to knock on Seed's door when Derek pulled him to the front door.

"Dude! Your sister is gonna kill you!... And I need a place to stay so we gotta go." He explained as Shio looked back at Seed's door with a worried look.

"But..." He tried but Derek just kept pulling him. Shio let out a defeated sigh and waved goodbye to the other borrowers. Derek flipped his shaggy ginger hair and gave Penneople a wink but she was preoccupied with Pollen. She hugged and pet the little bee promptly. Derek was disgruntled and pulled Shio away faster. Wren just gave a halfhearted wave to them as they left. She turned her attention to the pot, trying her best not to look at Seed's door. She put it away silently and sat at the table. Unable to shake her lingering thoughts from her argument with Seed she got up and walked to her room, closing the door quietly. Pennelope was completely unaware that Wren and Seed were in an argument, She was blissfully playing with little Pollen. Wren laid on her bed with a sigh. She grabbed a pencil and paper from her drawer. She let her frustration out on the paper. Drawing our her feelings always made her calm. She looked at the paper and gave it an approval nod. She pushed it into her drawer, probably never to be seen again.

Seed grit her teeth and stifled a groan of annoyance. She was so angry she could barely think. She knew if she talked to anyone she would probably say something she would regret, so she had locked her door and thrown the key into a pile of metal in the back corner of her room. She grabbed some flimsy tooth picks she had stacked against the wall and snapped them one at a time with her hands. After a few moments she realized she was being stupid, wasting her supplies and giving herself splinters. She sat on her floor for a few more moments, fuming, before an idea popped into her head. She jumped up and smiled wickedly at the thought.

 _"I could take my anger out on that meddling human! I mean... I might DIE but... Then I could tell him to leave us alone.. and also take out this anger on someone I don't care about..."_ She thought, pacing back and forth. She took a deep breath and gave a confident smile to herself before digging through the pile of scrap metal for the key she had just thrown away. After a good twenty minutes of searching she realized she was never going to find the key. She groaned and grabbed her hand crank drill and placed the drill bit on the lock.

"I am never getting angry again... It just makes me stupid." Seed told herself as she cranked away at the door lock.

Seed held her breath as she made her way towards the window closest to where the human usually sat. It had taken her a good thirty minutes to drill her way out of her room and she was even more annoyed by the fact that it was now almost completely dark. She took out her grappling hook and gave it a good toss. She missed and with an annoyed grunt she threw it one more time. This time it caught and with a smirk she ascended. All the time she climbed upwards she thought of all the excellent come backs and insults she could dish out on this human once she got him riled up. When she finally reached the top she blanked. Luckily the human had his eyes glued to the glowing TV screen. She took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. She paused before yelling, she didn't want to be completely unprotected when the time came. She grabbed a small branch that was tiny enough for her to move but not so tiny it didn't cover her body, and pulled it in front of her, partially concealing her. Chase didn't even flinch at the sudden noise of rustling leaves, he was too interested in the show he was watching. Seed took another breath and clenched her fists.

"HEY!" she yelled from her hiding spot. Chase didn't even take notice.

"HEEEEY!" Seed tried again. Chase glanced to the window finally drawing his attention to the screaming borrower.

"Hm?" Chase hummed, showing slight interest. This made Seed even angrier.

"You can't see Wren anymore! Okay? You are nothing but a bad influence! YOU..." Seed had suddenly forgotten all of the great things she was thinking as she climbed to the windowsill. Chase's face went from inattentive to slightly annoyed.

"Is that so?" Chase said. He had a slightly confident air about him, it almost seemed like he was mocking her.

"Yes! One day shes gonna get hurt or even killed and YOU are going to be the cause of it. Leave us alone you giant freak!" Seed yelled, almost forgetting her barrier of leaves and coming very close to stepping out and screaming in his face.

"Can you leave? I'm in the middle of Spiderman." He explained as if she knew what Spirderman was. Seed shuddered at the thought of a spider that was as big as a human. "No I can't just go, you still don't understand that you and Wren can never be friends. EVER." Seed continued. Chase picked up the remote and clicked the volume button.

"WHAT?" He asked, "THE VOLUME IS TOO HIGH." Seed bunched her little fists and ripped one of the leaves off of the tree. She watched it flutter to the ground with fury.

"DON'T SEE WREN AGAIN. EVER." She screamed as loud as she could in his direction.

"WHAAAT?" He asked again, continuing to turn the volume up.

"NEVER. SEE. WRE-" Seed's screams were interrupted by Chase's singing.

"SPIDERMAN SPIDERMAN, DOES WHATEVER A SPIDER CAN!" Chase yelled out, banging his head to the theme song. Seed screamed in frustration and slid down the rope as fast as she could, not caring she was giving herself rope burns. In some ways it fueled her anger.

"And tell Wren to come and see me soon!" He shouted quickly after her. He held back a laugh as he heard her yell with annoyance. Chase paused for a few moments after she had left to make sure she was really gone.

"Finally... I thought I was going to have to blow my speakers." Chase said to himself, turning the horribly loud Spiderman theme song down. He couldn't help but feel a small hurt in his heart that Wren had lied to him about being the only Borrower. He shrugged it off though and continued late into the night watching TV.

Wren gave an annoyed grunt her current drawing and crumpled it into a ball before opening her door and tossing it into the hallway. She ran her fingers through her hair and finally sat herself on the floor.

 _ _"How dare Seed..."__ Wren thought with an annoyed huff, __"She jumps to conclusions like a rabbit with rabies."__ She folded her arms and sat on the cold floor. __"Like I wanted him to do that. I'm a borrower, she should know the most that I couldn't exactly stop a HUMAN from picking me up and carrying me to the garden. She needs to learn to stop being so... so annoying!"__ Wren continued in silence, pushing her nails into the palms of her hands. __"She worries and worries but its not like he meant harm... He, for whatever god damn reason, doesn't want to hurt us. We could use that as a way of getting supplies. Granny would never have gotten as bad as she did if we had access to human materials."__ Wren took another deep breath as she started to feel her reason overcome her anger, __"And well... he's actually pretty nice too..."__ Wren's train of thought was shattered by a knock at her door. Wren jumped, nearly falling onto her back. By the second knock she had jumped up off the floor and answered the door.

"Yes, yes what?" She asked in a bit of a sharp tone.

"Is that any way of speaking to your mother!" Granny Sparrow scoffed as she entered the room. She was dressed in a warm looking blue house coat and her favourite slippers. She was carrying a mug of peppermint tea in one hand and mug of black tea in the other. Wren's eyes filled with a slight panic and Granny Sparrow rolled her eyes.

"I'm well enough to walk dear. I'm not the frail snowflake you all believe me to be." Granny said, taking a sip of the peppermint tea and handing the other mug to Wren.

 _"Oh great Pen must have told her something was wrong with me."_ Wren groaned in her head. Granny sat down on Wren's bed and patted her hand on the spot next to her. Wren gave a small sigh, trying not to make it too loud so she didn't get a scolding. Once she sat down she took a long sip of her tea.

"How in the world can you do that. I can barely get through Chamomile without some sugar." Granny said with a baffled look before turning her full attention to Wren. Wren was nearly taken aback, she rarely got this much attention from Granny Sparrow. It was usually her other adopted sisters that needed some comfort or some courage.

"What's on your mind dear?" Granny asked. Wren glanced around, looking for a way out of the conversation but found no escape. Granny waited patiently, looking harmless but her motherly worry pressured Wren to the point of frustration. She bit her lip nervously and sat on her hands so she couldn't fidget. Granny turned to her once more, still silent but Wren could feel her warm gaze burning through her composure. Wren finally turned to look at Granny directly and was confused by her mischievous smile.

"Is this about a boy?" Granny Sparrow half chuckled. Wren's eyes widened and she leaned back so far she nearly spilled her tea. Granny let out a little laugh and took another small sip of her tea.

"Ahhhh so it is." She teased, "What is he like?" Granny smiled. Wren took a second to collect her thoughts.

"W-well... He's... tall." She explained, feeling very out of her element. Granny nodded, eager to learn more.

 _"What am I doing! I don't like this idiot... But I can't tell her me... and a human..."_ Wren rambled in her head. She was pulled back to reality by Granny again.

"And?" Granny asked, a youthful gleam making its way into her eyes.

"He's... pretty nice. He has brown hair and... I dunno. He's... got a nice butt?" Wren listed off qualities, hoping to satisfy Granny's curiosity. At her last statement Granny gave a loud cackle. She had to take a moment to calm herself before resting her hand on Wren's shoulder.

"Only you could find a way to be confused about girl talk." Granny Sparrow smiled and finished off the rest of her tea in a gulp. "Were all here to talk about this if you need it dear. Make sure you remember that." Wren nodded, half serious and half to get Granny out of her room and her out of this awkward conversation. Granny gave Wren a gentle kiss on her forehead and exited the room.

"Make sure to lie down soon! You're still not fully recovered Granny!" Wren called after her.

"That's Granny Sparrow!" She snapped in response. Her stinging response gave Wren a bit of comfort.

 _ _"Granny seems like she'll be fine."__ Wren thought with a smile, taking a long sip of her leftover tea.

Seed stomped down the path towards the marketplace. She kept replaying the scene over and over in her head. Wren's icy stare and Chase's blatant disregard for anyone else's feelings. She felt betrayed, though not in any personal way.

 _ _"I just want the others to see that being reckless brings nothing but despair. Being a borrower means borrowing from humans not befriending them!"__ Seed pointed out to herself in her head. She continued down the path in silence and before she knew it the town towered before her. She made a point of being extra careful out of spite, though no one would even know the difference in her actions. She felt a refreshing sense of ease when she entered the marketplace. It had always felt so welcoming to her. She had even wondered if she could set up shop and trade her inventions for useful items, though she doubted anyone would be willing to trade for such things. She let her feet wonder around, looking from stall to stall until she found herself standing in front of Shio's booth. She rolled her eyes inwardly.

 _ _"Why must you always end up here..."__ She asked herself in the back of her mind. She waited patiently for Shio to walk out from the back, but was surprised when his sister Octavia appeared instead. Her long, black hair nearly reached her waist. It had stripes of a few exotic colours that made Seed curious of their origin. Her clothes were baggy, yet looked right at home on her frame. Her expression on a regular basis was either bored or had a hint of mischief. She wondered how such a relaxed looking older sibling could ever scare Shio. The look on his face when his sister yelled at him from the back of their store said it all.

"Hey Seed! What brings you here?" She asked with a hint of sarcasm. Seed sighed, she wasn't in the mood to deal with any teasing today.

"I'm... okay I guess." She replied hesitantly, but produced a smile none the less. Octavia gave her a curious look but dropped the subject, as well as her sarcastic tone.

"You looking for anything in particular?" She asked her kindly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well... To be honest I was hoping Shio was here." Seed spit out, wanting desperately to talk to someone who would listen to her without judgment. Her eyes glanced toward the ground, trying not to notice the amused smirk spreading across Octavia's face.

"Sorry to say he isn't here," Octavia said, "but you can come into the back of the store and hide form costumers with me." She suggested with a tooth filled smile. Seed held back a slight giggle.

"Shouldn't you want costumers to come to your store?" Seed retorted.

"Nah I'm not too good with social interactions. That's why I have Shio." She laughed, brushing aside the curtain that hid the back of the little store. Seed laughed a little too, in spite of her mood.

"I didn't think Shio liked it that much either?" Seed asked as she followed Octavia.

"Nope! I'm just older so he does what I say." Octavia explained, taking a seat on a wooden bench. To Seed's surprise the back storage area was quite roomy. It featured various shelves full of traded items and two wooden benches to sit on that had enough room for at least three borrowers each. Another doorway covered by a sheet led even farther into their tiny abode. Seed looked at it with interest.

 _ _"Is that where they actually live?"__ She wondered, __"I-Is that where Shio sleeps!"__ Octavia let out a tiny chuckle at Seed's now red face.

"You can go mess up his room if you want?" Octavia offered, grabbing a blueberry from a sack on one of the shelves and taking a big bite. Seed just shook her head and stared at the ground.

"N-no!" Seed answered in surprise, "No its fine."

"Whats up?" Octavia asked, leaning forward. Her expression had changed from playful to concerned in a matter of moments. Seed blinked a little in surprise, shuffling in place a bit.

"I can't really TELL you because of... Various reasons." Seed explained, not wanting to demonize Wren. She still loved her adopted sister, she was just kind of pissed right now.

"If you can't talk about whats bothering you, how about we talk about something more juicy to cheer you up?" Octavia said teasingly, taking another bite of her berry. She grabbed a bright blue one and tossed it to Seed.

"Like what?" Seed asked, taking a small bite of the berry and cocking her head to the side.

"Like your massive crush on my brother."

"W-WHAT?" Seed yelled, chocking on the berry. Octavia let out a loud chortle. She even had to hold on to the bench so she didn't fall over. Once Seed was finished chocking she tried to laugh it off like nothing had happened. Octavia just waited, her green eyes set on Seed. Seed sighed and finally gave up.

"Okay YES. I DO have a crush on Shio." Seed admitted. She looked around nervously, as if someone was waiting for her to say it and jump out to laugh at her. Octavia giggled.

"I'm his sister it's my job to know."

"You wont tell anyone will you?" Seed asked in a pleading tone. Octavia raised her index finger to her lips.

"Of course. That IS the number one rule of girl talk." She said with a wink. Seed gave a grateful smile.

"if that's the case, could you tell me... If he likes me?" Seed asked, a bright red blush blazing across her cheeks.

"Fuck." Octavia said, laying down on the bench, "Sorry kid that's the one think I'm not obliged to say." Seed jumped at her sudden curse, not used to its sharpness. She was used to Granny lecturing anyone using a curse worse than damn. Seed's mind went into overdrive for a second.

 _ _"W-Why can't she tell me? Does he hate me?! Or is that supposed to mean he likes me."__ Seed's thoughts whizzed around in her head, __"BUT I THOUGHT I WAS BEING OBVIOUS. Does he just not want to hurt my feelings?"__ Octavia was doing her best to hold down her laughs but a few escaped. Seed's eyes flashed with anger at Octavia's disregard for her feelings.

"I'm sorry! Don't over think it. Just keep doing what you are doing. We can change topics if it makes you feel better." Octavia reassured her. Seed shook her head, not wanting to admit her insecurity. Octavia cocked her eyebrow, not buying it.

"No no! It's fine." Seed assured her, "I'll just ask another question then." Seed took a small breath. "How do I get him to notice me?" Octavia nearly started laughing again but took a bite of berry to make herself stop.

"You have to be very obvious. Like REALLY obvious. Shio is an idiot." She explained, crossing her legs. "Ask him to help you with lots of stuff. Say stuff like, 'How do I look today?'" Octavia explained, imitating Seed in a very unflattering voice.

"Shut up!" Seed whined jokingly, nearly throwing her berry at Octavia.

"'Oh I dropped my goggles! Let me just bend down and-'" Octavia continued to mock her, standing up to demonstrate.

"NOOO!" Seed yelled, laughing as she pushed Octavia and tried to get her to stop. The two ended up falling over in a tumble of laughter.

"See? I told you this would cheer you up." Octavia laughed, "Now get off me before you break something!"

"Oh like I'm that fat!" Seed teased, pinning Octavia to the ground even more.

 _ _"She is right though."__ Seed thought as she continued laughing with Octavia into the evening.

 **Edit: I realized I messed up a few parts in here... to the point that I needed to actually edit it. Like the fact that there are somehow borrower sized apples... and how Wren went into the house again after going into the house for a first time... ANYWAY its all fixed now and I'll probably be able to write some more very soon. Enjoy! ~ Akimo**


	12. Chapter 12

**Wait... What that? Is that a ghost? No its just me uploading a freaking chapter finally. I'm sorry about the massive um... TWO YEAR delay on chapter 12. I got super busy with grade 12 and now uni. Life is happening man. Thanks to my creative writing class I've gotten out of my massive writing slump and am now writing again. Also I noticed that some people still read this somehow? its two years old? but thanks so much for actually reading you all are so wonderful! I'm sorry if my writing style has changed a bit I am two years older and in a writing class now. I'll stop rambling and let you read now. Please review and comment about what you think could be improved! Thank you! ~Akimo**

Pennelope sat at the kitchen table with a sullen look on her face. She heaved a sigh and laid her head on the table. She could feel the tension in the air the moment Wren had gotten home. She hated it when her sisters fought. She hated it when anyone fought. She did her best to avoid conflicts through jokes and smiles but it always found a way back into her life. Wanting to get away from the house she put on her shoes and opened the front door. Pollen tried her best to follow Pennelope, but was met with a calm hand and a shake of the head.

"No Pollen, please stay here. I don't want to have to deal with you flying off into the woods right now." Pelleope explained, squeezing the rest of the way out the door and shutting it softly. Pollen just gave a dejected buzz and flitted off towards the kitchen again.

Pennelope walked wherever her feet took her. She ended up in the woods before too long, tipping on the twigs and moss. She fell a few times, scraping her knees but not minding one bit. She continued absentmindedly until she finally stumbled out of the woods and into the side of a road, her shoes filled with dirt. She walked along it for a while, letting out small sighs and counting the clouds until she found herself in the small town where the marketplace resided. She gave a faint smile, remembering happy memories of pointless games she used to play as a child. Soon she started humming as she walked down the borrower's trails.

"Wow, you ever thought of taking up singing?" A voice came from behind her and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She gave a loud squeal and turned on her heels. Derek chuckled and gave her a wave. Pennelope crossed her arms and gave a little huff of annoyance.

"You could have just said hello like a normal person..." She mumbled, "And no you really don't want to hear me sing. It scares children." Pennelope stated matter-of-factually. Derek raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh really? Could have fooled me." He smiled, "What brings you out here anyway? I thought you were still playing with Pollen." He asked, a slight bit of concern behind his sarcasm. Pennelope sighed.

"Wren and Seed got into a fight... I thought I would take a walk to get away from the tension you know?" She explained. Derek just nodded thoughtfully.

The two walked together down the paths, eventually finding their way to the marketplace. Pennelope rolled her eyes slightly and they wandered between the stalls.

"Man I always end up here even if I don't want to." She whined. Derek shrugged.

"It's probably because all of the borrower paths coverage here. This marketplace was built upon on the backs of travelers you know?" Derek explained, his sly smile finding its way to his face again. Pennelope's eyes shone with curiosity, her spark of energy returning slightly.

"Apparently Borrowers just started trading stuff with each other while on the road. One Borrower noticed that everyone tended to trade around here and started up a stall. Pretty soon it was two stalls, then three stalls. After a while it was a full fledged market in the middle of a small town." Derek finished, motioning to the now almost dead marketplace. The moon wa out by now and all of the stalls had closed. Pennelope gazed out at the palely lit market with a new admiration, her gloomy face now twisted into a smile.

"U-um..." A small voice interrupted, "Actually this isn't the original location of the marketplace. It used to be more to the west but ended up being discovered by humans. It was almost abandoned completely, but luckily the merchants worked hard and managed to move a few of their stalls to this new location."

Pennelope and Derek both turned to see a rather flustered looking young borrower in a practical pink dress and hat. Her curly strawberry blonde hair flowed from the hat like sea foam, creating an interesting contrast with her caramel skin. A small satchel, much like Wren's, hung at her side. She was hiding her hands behind her back, but didn't shy away from eye contact. Her eyes were warm like the sunrise, but green like cool jade. She was short compared to Pennelope yet something about her seemed dependable. Pennelope blinked in surprise before flashing her a smile rushing over to her.

"Hey! That's really cool! I didn't know this place had that much history." Pennelope said, her excited eyes looking this new gal up and down. Derek's mouth went from his classic smirk to a slight frown quite quickly, not liking all of the attention the other borrower was getting.

"Oh! I'm Pennelope by the way." Pennelope finally said, holding her hand out in a greeting. The girl gladly took Pennelope's hand and gave it a gentle shake.

"I'm Rosemary, but most people just call me Rose." She smiled. She paused for a moment to dig through her satchel. She pulled out a tiny ball shaped object wrapped in a small cloth and handed it to Pennelope. After a bit more rummaging she grabbed another from her bag, this time for Derek. They both gingerly unwrapped their spheres to find a strange, squishy, opaque ball, one blue and one green. Derek gave it a good sniff and raised his eyebrows in interest. Pennelope looked at it for a good long moment before replying.

"Thaaaaaanks..." She replied, her voice blatantly showing her confusion. Rose started to giggle.

"It's gelatin!" She giggled some more, "You eat it. It usually tastes like fruit. Humans make it in tons of different ways, but those two came from a kids lunch box in the north." Pennelope took one final look at it before taking a big bite of her green gelatin. Her eyes lit up instantly and she downed the rest in the next bite.

"Isn't this stuff really rare?" Derek asked, still examining his own ball of gelatin. Rose gave a nod.

"Yes, but I like to give new people a little something from my bag. You know, to break the ice." Rose explained. Derek raised his eyebrows again, but this time in suspicion. Pennelope let out a hum of satisfaction before swallowing the rest of her gelatin. She turned to Derek quickly and reached for his.

"Can I have a bite of yours? I wanna know what blue tastes like!" Pennelope squealed. Derek nearly fell backwards trying to avoid Pennelope's hands, his smirk back on his face. He stood on his tippy toes, raising the gelatin as far above him as he could so that Pennelope had no chance of reaching it.

"Nuh-uh! No way!" Derek teased, "I haven't even touched it yet!" Pennelope pouted, her brow furrowing as she proceeded to jump for the ball like a dog after a treat. Derek snickered before turning quickly and stuffing the full ball of gelatin into his mouth.

"Dereeeeek!" Pennelope whined some more, stomping her foot in the dirt path.

"What? We can still share." Derek said cheekily around the gelatin, puckering his lips and giving his eyebrows a wiggle for good measure.

"EW you pervert!" Pennelope shouted, only half joking, a blush starting to appear on her cheeks. She pushed him slightly, making him loose his balance and fall onto his butt. He nearly choked on the jelly as he fell, forcing him to swallow it whole. Rose on the other hand was off to the side, cupping her hand over her mouth as she tried her best not to laugh.

It was only then did Derek notice Pennelope's scraped knees and dusty shoes. His smirk turned into a frown as he crawled towards her legs.

"Honestly again? How reckless can you be Pen." Derek said, shaking his head in disapproval. Pennelope gave him a puzzled look, unaware of the sate her knees were in. It felt a little strange hearing Derek use her nickname for the first time. Derek crawled over and placed his thumb gently on her scrapes, causing her to flinch.

"I left my bag of tonics with Shio… I should probably head back and meet him, I ran ahead to tell his sister we would be late, though I got a bit distracted." Derek explained as he stood up, "If you come with me I can fix you up again." Derek extended his hand to Pennelope, hoping she would take it.

"There's no need to go so far," Rose interjected before Pennelope could even respond, "I work at the medical centre at the back of this market. We have a lot of supplies there." Derek let his hand fall to his side with, seemingly, a bit of disappointment. Pennelope nodded and they followed Rose as she led them to the very back of the market.

The stalls thinned and made a path straight to a broken barrel that seemed to be cut in half horizontally. The inside looked much more put together with shelves of bottles containing various liquids and powders along with swatches of cloth and string. There were rows of beds, each covered by what looked like actual curtains that some borrower had managed to somehow grad.

"Wow I never knew this was here… And I've been coming here my whole life." Pennelope breathed in wonder.

"Yeah... We get that a lot. Unless you have a recurring medical issue or a very major injury many borrowers don't realize we exist. Derek studied the shelves with a frown.

"You have a lot of supplies here, but not the best quality supplies I'm afraid." He spoke in almost a sad voice. Rose looked at him with concern.

"My family has been running this place since the marketplace was first established. I would love to say I know everything about the quality of our care but really I just know how to heal others. My mom and dad are usually off borrowing their hearts out for food and other necessities and they left me in charge of the clinic." Rose explained in a worried tone. Derek looked confused.

"Why would they be borrowing for the essentials? Don't you charge food for your services?" He asked. Rose laughed as if he had asked the silliest question in the world.

"No no! We've always offered our services for free. My grandfather once said that we are all entitled to a healthy body. Most of these supplies are from generous donaters, many of which are past patients." she said, her eyes lighting up while mentioning her grandfather. Pennelope smiled with excitement at the thought of borrowers helping borrowers.

"So a partnership could still be on the table then?" Derek asked, turning on his sly voice. Rose cocked her head in confusion.

"I'm sorry what partnership?"

"You see," Derek started, sliding his hair to one side with his hand, "I provide my clients with various high quality tonics and mixtures that would raise the quality of your care dramatically." Pennelope furrowed her brow slightly as she heard the conversation unfold. She didn't like how Derek was looking at Rose. Rose blinked in surprise.

"I'm sorry we wouldn't be able to pay you properly. We barely have enough to support ourselves, let alone pay for these high quality supplies." She told him. Derek only smiled.

"I wouldn't need high pay, only a bit of food here and there to tide me over. Do we have a deal?" He asked, extending his hand with a charming grin. Rose took a second to look at his hand and pondered the situation. Derek waited a few minutes, wiggling his fingers enticingly. Rose took in a deep sigh and looked a bit pressured.

"Alright deal, but you had keep your promise." She replied, her voice timid as if she was very unsure about the choice she had made.

"Great! I'll meet back here with you tomorrow to work out a delivery schedule." He smiled, his voice sinking back to normal. Rose diverted her attention back to Pennelope at last and guided her over to one of the beds to take a seat.

"Sit there for a moment while I get some supplies please." Rose instructed politely as she closed the curtain and left Derek and Pennelople alone. Derek plopped down beside her.

"Does it hurt?" He asked with concern. Pennelope just shrugged, She didn't know why but there was something about his conversation with Rose that was bugging her. Derek was almost taken aback by her lack of response. Usually it was hard to shut her up. After a few awkward moments Rose returned with some medicine. She took a moment to clean Pennelope's knees before applying the green paste gently.

"Well that should be good. It should feel much better by tomorrow morning." Rose told her with a bright smile. Pennelope only smiled back and gave a wave to her on the way out.

"Thank you for coming! Tell your friends about us! Please!" Rose called after them as they walked into the night.

Pennelope felt like she had been drenched in water. She had never felt as unenergized as she did right now. Derek walked beside her, taking occasional glances at her with his eyes concerned. She still didn't say anything as he approached Shio's stand. She even stayed outside when he had gone in to tell his sister him and Shio would be late. She followed him as he walked out of the marketplace and down a forest path. Derek left it alone for as long as he could but he could barely take the silence any longer.

"Okay, Pen, what is the matter? You've been silent ever since we left the clinic." He asked, placing himself squarely in front of her so she couldn't avoid the question. Pennelope looked downwards for a moment, not meeting Derek's eyes.

"I'm just… really tired." She lied, not even sure why she was feeling this way herself. Derek wasn't buying it. He took a step closer and tilted her face up so she couldn't hide anymore. Pennelope felt slightly panicked but she didn't run. She actually didn't mind being this close to him.

"Please tell me." He asked, a deep concern pleading in his eyes. Pennelope didn't understand why he cared so much. She took a sigh and shut her eyes for a moment before responding.

"I… I don't know why exactly… But I didn't like the way you talked to her back there." She muttered out.

"To her? You mean Rose?" He asked, pure confusion growing on his face. Pennelope nodded.

"What do you mean the way I talk?" He asked again, still not understanding how he came across. Pennelope struggled to find the words.

"You talked so… I guess you talked to her the way you talk to me." She started to say, shaping her sentence with a puzzled look. Derek stepped back for a moment to think before realizing his mistake.

"Pen.. I… I only use that tone of voice because I don't know any other ways of getting people's attention." He confessed, turning away slightly and looking embarrassed, "I only wanted her to consider having me as a supplier." Pennelope scrunched her eyebrows together and blinked a few times, looking downwards again.

"Well what did you want out of me then? Some food? A laugh?" She asked, feeling like a gullible child. Derek's eyes widened.

"Pen no. I… The reason I talk to you is because I want to know you." He explained, "You're quite an interesting person if you haven't noticed." He laughed a little as a gentle blush formed on his cheeks. Pennelope felt her mind settle as he talked.

"And plus… Who wouldn't want to talk to a pretty girl like you?"

Pennelope felt her face go bright red, but this time she didn't bother to hide it. Derek laughed slightly and broke the tension between the two. He extended his hand and Pennelope silently accepted as they walked hand and hand into the dark forest.

 **Hello its me again! I bug you some more. For anyone who cares I spent the day reading over this fanfiction and found a lot of things that could be improved or edited. This would also change the flow of the entire story a bit though so I want to know if I should go back and edit it all or if people like it how it is. Or if people really really just don't care. Let me know! And thank you for reading thus far!**


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